


something's gotta give

by laylax



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Slow Burn, a little bit of barchie in there, it's EXTREMELY angsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-11-20
Packaged: 2019-04-23 08:10:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 85,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14328243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laylax/pseuds/laylax
Summary: There’s something so strange about doing this, she realizes. Something so final. Because tonight is different. It’s not like all the times before, huddled in a booth sharing a milkshake with her favorite people. This is it. Her last day here despite the fact that graduation is still a week away. But she’ll be long gone by then. San Francisco maybe, maybe Seattle, anywhere that's not Riverdale. Tonight is goodbye. It's why she can’t bring herself to scan the crowd for his face. If she does, if she sees him she knows this won’t work. One look at him and she’ll never even make it out of the diner.





	1. gone

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been working on this little thing for quite some time now. It’s not exactly non-canon but it’s also not canon compliant so I guess this could be one possibility of what’s going to come. (But I really hope it isn’t what’s actually going to happen, because it’s hella angsty.) 
> 
> This chapter is MUCH shorter than the rest will be, but I didn’t want to include too much in the first chapter. So hopefully if you stick around there’ll be plenty more to come. I really hope you guys like this, and I’d love to know what you think. Let me know which parts (if any) you enjoy and what you would’ve preferred to be different. Please be kind though I’m very fragile. 
> 
> Enjoy :)

She decides to do it at Pop’s of all places, some kind of poetic justice or something. This is it where it all began, this is where they at their happiest, at their worst, so it only made sense this is where it should end. She’d been giving out flyers all week. 'One last night at Pop’s before graduation', before everyone headed off in their own direction.

She walks up onto the small stage Jughead had helped her set up, clutching the mic so hard she’s scared it might break. “Hey there!” She says, but her voice is too soft, a few heads turn to look at her. She clears her throat. Then she takes a deep breath and tries again. “Hey!” All eyes are on her. “I hope you’re all having a good time.” The crowd goes wild. There’s a whole lot of whooping, and cheering. All she wants is for him to be here tonight. To come up on stage and beg her not to go through with this. He won’t. He doesn’t. “I hope you guys don’t mind, I just want to say a few words.”

There’s something so strange about doing this, she realises. Something so final. Because tonight is different. It’s not like all the times before, huddled in a booth sharing a milkshake with her favourite people. This is it. Her last day here despite the fact that graduation is still a week away. But she’ll be long gone by then. San Francisco maybe, maybe Seattle, anywhere that's not Riverdale. Tonight is goodbye. It's why she can’t bring herself to scan the crowd for his face. If she does, if she sees him she knows this won’t work. One look at him and she’ll never even make it out of the diner.

“These last few years, have been a complete rollercoaster ride for me. I’ve been at my best, my worst, I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, I’ve fallen in love and built friendships that I can only hope will stick with me throughout my life.” She steals a glance at her closest friends and classmates, waving their hands around madly in the middle of the crowd. Josie smiles at her and gives her an encouraging smile. It’s all the reassurance she needs right now.

“And I have to say I don’t think I could have made it through even a week of it all without all of you! Without the love, without the endless support, you showed me. So thank you. Thank you for always making me feel welcome here even after... after everything my parents did.” Her eyes unconsciously drift to the crowd until they land on the one person she’d been hoping she wouldn’t see tonight.

Her heart pangs and she almost stops right then. Almost bolts right out of there, almost wishes she’d never set foot in here. Her voice cracks in the slightest until she quickly averts her gaze. Of course, Archie would show up here tonight of all nights. Of course, he’d be with _her_.

Of course, she'd want him to.

She wonders if he’d miss her. Last week, she’d have said yes instantly. Last week she wouldn’t have been leaving. Last week, he hugged her and she breathed him in and she memorised the markings on his bedroom ceiling and she couldn’t imagine ever not being with him, not being happy. It just goes to show how fast things can change. She swallows. “So thank you.”

He would, she decides. He would miss her even if he didn’t think so, even if he didn’t want to. He would miss her. If only because before any of this, before he drunkenly kissed her and she slowly let herself fall, before they started to slowly fall apart, they were friends. Before he broke her heart they were _something._ Something important.

They had been friends once. Even if everything after it was a lie. When he realises Veronica, his friend, the one he’d kissed at a New Year’s Eve party sophomore year just to make her crush jealous, was gone... when he figures out she’s not coming back, he’ll miss her.

“You’ve all played such an important role in my life. You mean so much to me, each and every one of you. I know I haven’t been the easiest person or even an easy person, but none of you ever gave up on me, and for that, I am forever grateful.” Of course, she could be wrong. He could not care at all. After all, he’d done this to them. He’d just completely obliterated their entire friendship, something she considered to be one of the most important relationships in her life. And all for what? To see if he could convince himself he hadn’t been in love with the same girl since the first grade? Maybe he wouldn’t care if she left. Maybe she _did_ mean so little to him.

She sighs, takes a deep breath. “I can say without a single doubt in my mind that you’re all going to be amazing, no matter where you go next. We’re only going up from here.”

She still hasn’t decided where exactly she’s going to go, figures all that really matters is that she leaves, gets out of here before this town ends up suffocating her. Jug already helped her load most of her stuff into boxes and toss them into her car, so now all she really has to do is get through this performance. Then she can drive and drive until her heart aches less or she‘s far enough away from him– far enough to forget that she’s still stupid enough to feel something for him, to care. Whichever came first.

Veronica meets Jughead's eyes in the back of the crowd, and he gives her a reassuring nod. She feels another surge of emotion at the realisation that leaving Archie means leaving him too, and even though they hadn’t been the closest of friends, he’d become such an important part of her life. He understands Veronica's need to get away, and he’s supportive of her decision, hell he said he might even tag along, meet her somewhere after graduation. They said their goodbyes this afternoon, and he promised to keep quiet about Veronica leaving school early until after the weekend. By then she'll hopefully be at least 3 states away.

“Thanks.” She murmurs into the mic once the applause has died down. She smiles half-heartedly to cover up the fact that she's on the verge of falling apart right here right now, and quickly adds, "I'm gonna miss this place, and all of you; go bulldogs!" The room erupts in another round of cheers.

She meets Archie's eyes, hopes he knows that she's talking to him. He looks happy, at least. Maybe it was all worth something in the end. To him, at least. He stares at her guiltily, stands up, makes an effort to walk towards her and she has to look away. She doesn't want to risk changing her mind, she can't stay here. She _won't_ stay here. She’s tried all week to make things go back to normal, back to before when they were just friends. But her heart aches and her head hurts and pretending to be okay is the hardest thing she’s ever done.

The room fills with laughter and conversation and Veronica takes the opportunity to sneak off stage and make a break for the exit. Jughead is already waiting by the door and she walks right into him, opening her arms and giving him a tight hug.

“Gross.” He groans, but he makes no attempts to move out of her reach.

“Take care of yourself, okay.” She draws in a shaky breath, feel tears welling in her eyes, because she doesn't really want to leave, doesn't really want any of this to be happening, but she holds them back. “Don’t spend all of your time brooding.”

“I’ll try.” He laughs half-heartedly.

She takes a deep breath, glances back at the crowd. She can’t see Archie. “I should go.” She whispers. “I’m really going to miss you.”

He sighs, finally wraps his arms around her waist. “I’m going to miss you too.” She smiles, presses a kiss to his cheek.

“Goodbye, Jughead.” She says, disappearing behind the door and into the parking lot.  
...

She resists the urge to look over her shoulder and instead pushes open the already swinging door and steps out into the cold night air. She tugs her car keys out of the pockets of her jeans, finally checking behind her to make sure Archie didn't follow her out. He didn't. She feels a mix of emotions wash over her. Relief; because seeing him, actually seeing him standing right in front of her would pull apart the already fragile state of mind she’s in. He’d ask her to stay and she would. Disappointment; because still. Him running after her would mean he cared, would mean he already missed her. Despite everything. Or he just doesn't care, either way, she didn’t want to hear it.

She almost jumps when she sees him. He’s standing at her car, leaning against the door, eyebrows furrowed, lips pressed into a thin line. He stands up straight when he sees her, but she does her best to ignore him. She unlocks the door and places a hand on the handle before he covers it with his own. “Ronnie.” Her breath catches in her throat.

“You need to go.” She whispers eyes closed, fighting back tears. She uses her other hand to push his off of hers, opens the door.

“Are you okay?” He asks, she can hear the concern in his voice, she almost wants to turn around, kiss him, pretend like the last few weeks never happened. “Talk to me.”

She lets out a muffled sob. “Archie.” She says, still refusing to look at him. “Go. Please.”

“I’m not going anywhere while you’re like this.” He says firmly. He places a hand on her shoulder and it sends chills down her spine.

She finally turns around to face him and can feel her eyes stinging even as she does. “You don’t get to do that.” She yells, punches his chest. “You don’t get to try and make me feel better.”

“Ronnie-“

“You did this!” She spits out. He looks as bad as she feels. “You broke me, Archie. I’m _like this_... because of you.”

“I didn’t mean to-” He trails off. She thinks she’d have been better off never coming here. Tonight. Ever.

She sighs, rolling her eyes, wipes her tears with the back of her hand. She tosses her purse into the car and locks the door behind her.  
....

As soon as she pulls out of the parking lot of Pop’s, Archie’s storming into the diner, looking for Jughead. "Where's she going?" He says loudly, a bunch of guys from the team look over at them.

Jughead turns at the sound of his voice, his expression guarded. Veronica made him promise not to tell Archie she was gone, not to say anything to him at all if, until Monday at least. He wants to knock Archie out, tell him off for everything that he did to Veronica, himself, their little unconventional group.

“She’s got somewhere else she had to be,” Jughead replies coldly, not bothering to make eyes contact with him.

"In the middle of the party, she’s throwing?" Archie comments, studying Jughead's face closely. "Jughead, where is she going?"

"Why are you asking me?" Jughead asks in exasperation, "You were just talking to her, Archie! Besides, you’re here with Betty, right? You’ve got everything you want. Why do you care where Veronica is?"

"What are you talking about?" Archie asks. "Why wouldn't I care? She's my friend."

“Of course she’s not all right, man. None of us are. You messed up." Jughead blurts out, shaking his head. He turns around and begins to walk away but Archie grabs his shoulder and walks in front of him. “Wait, Jug. Please.” Jughead sighs, waiting exhaustedly for him to continue. Archie swallows once more before asking “She’s not coming back, is she?“ He’s scared he already knows the answer.

Jughead keeps his mouth pressed in a straight line, and in his silence, Archie finds his answer. "Why?" Archie asks, dropping his shoulders in defeat. He knew Veronica had been avoiding him, acting differently, but he had no idea she was even thinking about leaving let alone actually going through with it. She told him she needed time, that everything would eventually somehow go back to normal, that they _would_ be okay. He should’ve known better than to believe her. "Because of me?"

Jughead looks at him incredulously, raises an eyebrow. “What do you want me to say, Archie?” He says coldly. "You hurt her. You used her. What did you think would happen?” Jughead shakes his hand off his shoulder, walks off and vanishes into the sea of people standing outside Pop’s.

Archie feels like he just woke up, opened his eyes only to find out he's in a waking nightmare. He thought telling Veronica the truth about everything with Betty was the right thing to do, thought that telling her it’d been an act all along was what she needed to hear. He wasn’t sure what reaction he was expecting. Maybe he thought she’d laugh and say that she knew all along. Maybe he’d somehow convinced himself that once it was all over, once he explained everything to her, she would understand. Instead, he lost his best friend.

Archie struggles to pull his cell phone out, fumbles around in his pocket before he finally grabs it. He dials her number once. Twice. Three times. Her phone rings and rings but she doesn't pick up. He leaves her a message. “Call me back, Ronnie, please. This is insane.” He knows her, knows she’s hurt and she probably won’t even listen to it but he has to try. He can make all of this better if she gives him a second chance. He doesn't deserve one, but he wants one so bad,  
....

She’s just passed the town border when she feels herself start to unravel once again. Veronica breathlessly pulls over to the side of the road. She takes a deep breath, tightens her grip on the steering wheel, hoping it will calm her down somehow. But her breath catches and when she lets it out it’s a strangled sob. Tears fill her eyes so she closes them, leaning her head forward until it‘s pressing against the backs of her hands.

It takes a few minutes, but she finally pulls herself together. Accepts that even though it hurt, it was over. She was out of Riverdale, away from Archie, and so already one step closer to feeling better.

She wipes the tears from her cheeks, restarts the engine, and pulls out of the parking lot. It feels good. To follow neon signs and pretend her biggest problem is where she’ll stop to get some rest. To leave her life behind, with all of its heartache and drama and pain.

It feels really good.

The moment she sees Archie's name flash across her screen, she panics, pulls over to the side of the road and stares down at the device debating whether or not to pick up. She decides not to, and then confirms that decision when he calls a second time, and she ignores that too. She finally decides to turn the phone off, and, just for good measure...she tosses it out the window. She realises she doesn't need it anyway and it'll only tempt her to contact Archie somehow.

She starts driving again. She is almost to the highway now. She's still not sure where she's going, just driving until she knows it's time to stop. She thought she'd be a little more nervous, she's never actually been on her own before, she left New York with her parents, and in Riverdale, she'd always been surrounded by people. She's terrified, anxious, but also excited.

Either way, she's left Riverdale behind and that's all that matters. It's time for a fresh start.


	2. part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She sits up suddenly, bouncing up and down on her toes. “You can come with me!” She suggests, smiling. 
> 
> He shakes his head. “No.” 
> 
> “Why not?” She says, eyes gleaming as she stands up. “It’ll be fun! We can road trip down to Memphis.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some notes before we jump into this chapter: 
> 
> * so first off you should know that this story will be taking place throughout two separate timelines.So there’s two different stories going on but everything will connect towards the end.  
> * also I just want to say thank you all so so much for all your sweet comments about chapter 1. I’ve been completely swamped this week and so I still haven’t gotten around to replying to them all but I’m going to get to them ASAP! I never would’ve expected so many people would read this little piece, let alone enjoy it. You have no idea how much it means to me. I love you guys ❤️  
> * if you guys would like to chat with me about this fic or varchie or just anything in general, you can find me on Tumblr @veronicasloddge !! 
> 
> Please try and leave a comment with your feedback or ideas I love hearing what you guys think! That’s it, I’m done now I promise. 
> 
> Enjoy :)

_**3 MONTHS AGO** _

 

“I’m fine.” He sighs. Veronica rolls her eyes at that, walks over to the other side of the booth and slides in beside him. The diner looks extra dark today, he thinks. It’s supposed to be sunny today but it looks like there’s a storm rolling in, the sky outside is a dull grey color. It perfectly reflects how he feels right about now. Miserable.

 

“Yeah, I can see.” She gives him an amused laugh. He takes the opportunity to take in his appearance. He’s wearing one of his old hoodies covered in stains from God knows what. He groans at a bang that comes from the kitchen. Great, this is just what he needs. His head is pounding and he’s pretty sure he can’t stand up. “I’m serious.” She says, folding her arms in front of her chest. “It’s been two weeks.”

 

“I’m fine, Ronnie.” He repeats, tapping his fingers on the cold table.

 

“No, you’re not.” She says exasperatedly, “You’re sitting at an empty diner at seven in the morning, hoping your ex is going to show up. That’s not healthy, Archiekins.” She shakes her head, reaches across the table and places her hand on top of his. It gives him a flicker of a feeling he decided to ignore almost 4 years ago, locked up in a box labeled ‘don’t go there’. He sighs. “At least let me buy you breakfast.”

 

He shakes his head."Let’s go for a walk then.” she suggests. "Or at least get you some clean clothes. You look like you just spent the night dumpster diving.” This time when she smiles up at him he can’t help but smile back.

 

“Fine.” He groans, pulling himself out of the booth.

 

“Great.” Veronica beams, clapping her hands victoriously. She scrunches up her nose. “You could use a shower too.”

…

They end up aimlessly strolling down the streets of Riverdale. He’s never been around the town at this time of the morning. He usually takes a jog around their block or he’ll go to school using a different route every once in a while but he’s never seen all of Riverdale first thing in the morning. It’s beautiful. Refreshing, really.

 

They’re sitting on a bench on the bridge overlooking the river. By the time they get there the clouds have parted and the sun is up. Veronica’s got her eyes closed, reveling in the sensation of the sun hitting her skin. He’s tempted to join her but he can’t look away. She opens her eyes for a second, catches him staring at her. It makes her blush. “Talk.” She says, tilting her head back and closing her eyes again.

 

"You don't have to take care of me" He mumbles, finally joining her. The sun feels warm on his skin.

 

"I’m your friend aren’t I?" She asks, taking his hand in her own. He nods even though both of their eyes are closed and she won’t see it. She pauses, taking in a deep breath, “You were there for me after the whole thing with my mom and dad. Now it’s my turn to be here for you.”

 

“I’m being childish, Veronica.” He opens his eyes to meet hers. She gives his hand a reassuring squeeze.

 

“No, you’re not.” She says, inching closer, resting her head on his shoulder. “It’s perfectly normal to feel hurt, Archie. She hurt you. After all you guys have been through, I’m actually surprised you haven’t run for the hills.”

 

“I’m sorry.” He whispers.

 

She jerks her head up. “What could you  possibly have to be sorry for?”

 

“I don’t want to come between the two of you.”

 

She smiles. “Archiekins, you could never do that.” She reassures him. “Betty and I are like this.” She links her two hands together, shows him how tight they are. This is something he knows already. From the day Veronica drifted into Riverdale, her and Betty had been inseparable. “She just messed up this time, but you guys will be okay in time. We all will. Just wait.”

 

“You’re pretty wise, you know that?” He says with a chuckle.

 

“Shut up.” She mumbles, but she’s laughing along with him. She punches his shoulder. It’s the first time in a while that he’s really laughed. Genuinely felt happy.

 

It’s also the first time he’s been outside in just as long. The first time since Betty told him that even though she loved him, she didn’t want to be with him anymore. Those weren’t her exact words, of course. She’d phrased it much more kindly and she’d had tears in her eyes as she’d said it but that was the gist of it.

 

“I can stay.” She says a minute after their laughter has died down. “If you need me here, I can stay.”

 

“Ronnie, no. You’re going to see your mom. My misery and I will still be here when you get back. Don’t let me ruin your life.”

 

She smiles."You're not ruining my life. You're my friend." He wonders when he became this dependent on her. Somewhere between that first night in Pop’s and Betty breaking his heart, Veronica had become the person he relied on the most. She might be his best friend right now.  

 

He gives her a half shrug. "I'll be fine.”

 

“You’re a horrible liar.” She rolls her eyes. She rests her head on his shoulder again. It feels good. Something about it feels right in a way he can’t explain. He can feel the sun on the back of his neck. It’s only March but it feels like summer is in full swing. Everything feels a hundred degrees warmer.  

 

Hermione had moved to Memphis last winter, after Hiram was sent back to prison and her and Veronica cut all ties with him instantly. She’d needed a new start and she had some family there so she decided why not? Veronica decided to stay, however. She’d grown so used to life in Riverdale that she couldn’t imagine starting over somewhere new all over again. So she stayed. Right now he couldn’t be more relieved that she did.

 

She sits up suddenly, bouncing up and down on her toes. “You can come with me!” She suggests, smiling.

 

He shakes his head. “No.”

 

“Why not?” She says, eyes gleaming as she stands up. “It’ll be fun! We can road trip down to Memphis.”

 

“Veronica, you’re going to visit your mom.” He says, still shaking his head. She offers him her hand and he takes it before she pulls him off the bench. “I’ll just ruin your trip.”

 

“We’ve already been through this,” She says exasperatedly, “You’re not ruining anything. Besides, my mom loves you!”

 

"Do you even have a car?" He asks hesitantly.

 

"No, but you do."

 

…

He got the car almost exactly a year ago. His dad drove him down to the junkyard and they chose it together. It was certainly something else, it needed the most work but it had the most potential. The two of them ended up working on it every day for a really long time before it finally looked and felt like something he’d want to drive.

 

He and Veronica are sitting in the front seats. Veronica’s running her hands over the warm leather, flipping through his CD collection. “It’s definitely an upgrade from the bus.” She assures him with a smile. She turns on the AC and turns to face him. “You sure about this?”

 

“Are you kidding? I couldn’t let Veronica Lodge take the bus. I’m not a monster.” Archie says, earning him an unamused look from Veronica. He runs a hand through his hair anxiously before turning on the engine. “And also... a break from Riverdale is exactly what I need right now.”

 

They were finally leaving. After two days of debating whether or not he should go, he’d decided at the very last minute that he’d join her. And so they’re finally off. He and Veronica are leaving for Memphis.

 

Veronica laughs. “I’ll bet.” A thrill runs through him as he thinks about the possibility this trip has. A chance for him to forget about everything bad that’s ever happened in this town, forget about Betty, forget about his mom leaving, forget about Riverdale. And with Veronica by his side? He couldn’t be more excited.

 

“How’s your phones battery charge?” He asks, pulling the car out of the driveway and making his way down the road. As they pass Betty’s house he starts to second guess himself, he didn’t even say goodbye to her. He didn’t tell her he was leaving. Maybe this trip is a bad idea.

 

He feels Veronica’s hand on top of his before he turns to look at her, “I think it’ll be good for you.” Ronnie says as if reading his mind. He nods in agreement and carries on down the street. “It’s at 50 percent, by the way.” She says suddenly. “My battery.”

 

“Oh.” He checks his own phone. It’s fully charged. “I’ll just use my GPS then.”

 

“Are you insane?” Veronica yells, pulling her black hair back into a ponytail. “The whole point of a road trip is to follow the road. We’ll use a map. Haven’t you ever been on one of these before?”

 

“Not really.” He drops his shoulders. “I think once when I was a kid.”

 

“Well, you can’t use your GPS.” She states, arms folded in front of her. Archie shakes his head but smiles nonetheless. He makes a point of turning the GPS off and turning the radio on.

...

 

They stop at a QuickStop just a few miles outside of Riverdale and Veronica runs in to grab some things. She comes back a few minutes later with two cups of coffee, some energy drinks, and an entire bag of full of jellybeans. He snorts, shaking his head as they pull onto the road. “You know if you wanted to kill me you could’ve just said.”

 

“Haha, very funny.” She deadpans, giving him a playful slap on his shoulder. “Keep your eyes on the road.”

 

She starts flipping through the stations as they reach the highway, and he starts moving at a slightly faster speed. Each station plays for a few seconds before she jumps to the next one, clearly unsatisfied with the music they’re playing. “You plan on choosing one anytime soon?” He says finally. She doesn’t respond, keeps her eyes focused on something he can’t see and continues to turn the dial. “Ronnie!”

 

That seems to pull her out of her train of thought. “Huh, what?” She straightens her back and rests her head against her seat. “I’m fine with whatever.”

 

“You okay?” He asks concerned.

 

“Yeah, just nervous that’s it. I haven’t seen my mom in a while.” He’s not buying it, but he decides to leave it at that. She clears her throat. “We have to establish some rules.”

 

His eyes widen. “Rules?” He echoes, eyes still fixed on the road.

 

“Yes.” She says, playing with the charms in her bracelet. “Rule number 1, I often tend to talk a lot and complain twice as much... So if you at all feel like you’re getting sick of it, tell me to shut up. It’s okay. I can be a handful sometimes.”

 

“Ronnie, seriously...” He objects, but she shakes her head in response and cuts him off.

 

“Rule number 2, I will not listen to your broody, heavy, death metal albums, okay?”

 

He rolls his eyes. “Fine, but I’m not listening to Taylor Swift.”

 

“And I would never ask you to..” She says with a playful smile. He can’t look away. “Rule number 3,” She continues, “No talk of exes or relationships, whatsoever, got it? You don’t bring up Reggie or Chuck and I won’t bring up she who shall not be named.”

 

“Betty’s not Voldemort, Veronica.” He says, clutching the steering wheel a bit tighter at the thought of Betty and everything they’ve been going through. He’d somehow already forgotten. For a moment at least.

 

“Uh uh uh, Archiekins.” She says, shaking her head, presses a finger to his chest. “You’re breaking the rule already.”

 

“Fine. No relationship talk.” He repeats, taking a sip of his coffee.

 

“At all.” She reminds him.

 

“Right.” He nods in agreement. "Are those all the rules or are there more?" He asks, rolling his eyes.

 

"That's it.” She assures him. This is good, Archie thinks. He needed to get out of that house, to get out of Riverdale. This would be good for him. It would also be fun and he could use all the n he could get right now.

 

"Hey, Ronnie" Archie begins with a grin. She turns to look at him. He keeps his eyes on the road."Thanks for dragging me along.”

 

She smiles. “Anything for you, Archiekins.”

…

 

“I have to warn you about her,” Veronica says. They’re only a few hours out of from Pennsylvania and Veronica has been getting antsier the closer they get to Memphis. She’d gone from pulling at a loose thread on her sweater to tearing up their QuickStop receipt into as tiny scraps as she could to tapping her fingers so impatiently on the dashboard Archie thought his head was going to explode.

 

“Your mom?” Archie questions. She nods slightly, grabs a handful of jellybeans from the bag. “Why?”

 

“She’s not in the best place right now.”

 

“You told me.” She sighs deeply. Archie feels like he’s missing something. But before he can press her on the subject she continues, “Her and my dad were closer than ever when he got back and then he still went through with his plan knowing that he might lose us both.“

 

"Ronnie-“

 

“I’m not looking for your pity or anything,” She says, fussing with the hem of her sweater. He’s known Veronica to be a lot of things over the years; strong, resilient, forgiving, kind, beautiful. Pitiable has never been one of them. “I’ve made my peace with it.” She assures him, “I just wanted you to prepare yourself. She’s fresh out of a really dark place.”

 

“I can handle myself, Ronnie.” He assures her, pulling the car over to a gas station. He places his hand on hers. “Are you ready, though?”

 

Archie feels her shoulders tense. “I don’t know.” She says, just a whisper.

 

“It’s okay. I’m with you.” Archie says, unsure what else to say. It’s the only thing he knows for a fact. He’s not letting Veronica go through any of this alone. "Have you been up here since she moved?"

 

"No," Veronica mumbled, biting her lip. "She invited me up a couple of times before but I think... I think some part of me blamed her. For letting him back into our lives in the first place. Which is insane because I was just as eager for him to be back.” She shakes her head and exhales. She‘s more nervous about seeing her mom than she would ever dare to admit to herself. Let alone Archie.

 

"It'll be fine, Ronnie" Archie assures her softly. “Trust me.”

 

"Yeah," She says. "I guess so." She turns down the volume of a silly pop song that had been playing. Archie was right. It would be okay.

 

Her phone starts ringing just as Archie is climbing out of the car to fill gas. It’s Kevin. Veronica might have an inkling of an idea why he’s calling.

 

"Where are you?" Kevin asks, his voice loud and sharp.

 

Veronica sighs. Archie can probably hear Kevin's voice from outside the car, it’s so loud she has to hold her phone a few inches away from her ear. If Archie hears anything, he doesn’t let on. “I don’t know. Somewhere just outside of New York.”

 

"Is Archie with you?" Again, she flinches at his volume.

 

"Yes."

 

"What are you doing, Veronica?" This time his voice is lower, concerned.

 

"I'm going to visit my mom." She says, it comes calm and collected but she’s a second away from screaming into her phone. The only thing stopping her is Archie two feet away.

 

"Why is he with you?" She meets Archie’s eyes from outside the windows and he gives her a questioning look. She opens the door and steps out of the car. She gestures towards the bathroom and starts walking to it. “Veronica!” Kevin yells.

 

“Stop screaming!” She spits out. He mumbles an apology that she can barely make out before she takes a deep breath. “He couldn’t just stay there, Kevin. It was killing him.”

 

Kevin sighs. “Bettys pissed.” He whispers, finally seeming to have calmed down.

 

“Why?”

 

"Why do you think? She's jealous."

 

Veronica snorts. “Of me and Archie?” She says, letting out a little laugh. “She’s the one who dumped him, Kev.”

 

"Doesn't mean she doesn’t love him." This conversation was absurd.

 

“Are you kidding me, right now?” She laughs. “I’ll call you later, Kev. I gotta go.” She hangs up as he’s objecting. Guess it’s clear who’s side Kevin chose in this breakup.

…

 

"Is everything okay?" Archie asks. He’s sitting at the small restaurant near the station, picking at a plate of fries. She sits down and pulls the plate towards herself.

 

"Peachy" She lies. He can tell.

 

"Liar." She glares at him.

 

“Aren’t you, small-town boys supposed to be polite?” She eats a fry off his plate. "Don't eavesdrop on private conversations!"

 

He shrugs, looking amused. "I wasn't, but you look mad."

 

"Well, I'm not," She says, glancing over the menu so she doesn’t have to meet his eyes. "I'm just hungry. Does this place have anything that’s not made of only sugar?"

 

He nods in amusement. “You mean the jellybeans aren’t working out?”

 

She throws a fry at him. “Watch it, Andrews.”

…

 

He forgets about the entire incident by the time they’re back on the road. This time she’s lying in the back legs sprawled out across the seats, fanning herself with a magazine she brought with for entertainment. It’s a hundred degrees and it feels like they’re on fire.

 

She’d asked him to turn down the music and the silence was giving him a lot of space to think. About everything. About Betty, mostly. He’s not too fond of that. "Did you tell your mom I was coming?" He pipes up, trying to distract himself. He glances at her from the mirror and she looks like she was about to fall asleep.

 

"Yeah." She says, her throat dry.

 

"She’s okay with it, right?" Archie asks.

 

"Of course she is, Archie.” She says exasperatedly, sitting up and adjusting the AC. Archie nods, his brow furrowed. “What’s up with the twenty questions?”

 

“Nothing.” He says. A lie. But Veronica doesn’t say anything.

 

"Don’t worry about it." She tells him. "If anyone needs to be stressed out about this, it’s me. Trust me, it won’t be two minutes before she starts asking me about college applications and SAT prep."

 

The sky was still a bright blue. It was the middle of the afternoon, but they wouldn't be in Memphis before midnight. Veronica leans back against the seat with a huff and plays with the AC. “You’re going to break it.” He warns. She flicks the tip back and forth while humming a tune he can’t quite recognize. “What is that?” He asks.

 

“What?”

 

“That tune.” He meets her eyes in the mirror, holds her gaze for a minute while she mumbles something he can’t make out. “Is it yours?”

 

“A Veronica Lodge original.” She flashes him a bright smile.

 

“Ronnie...” He hesitates, struggles to think straight for a second with the way her eyes are scanning him. “It’s really good..”

 

“Maybe.” She whispers. “I keep getting stuck on the melody.”

 

“Want some help?”

 

“Maybe later, Archiekins.” She says, rubbing her temples with her thumbs. “You mind if I get some beauty sleep? I’ll take over the wheel when I’m up.”

 

“Veronica Lodge driving?” He says incredulously. “I’d love to see that.”

 

“Careful what you wish for.” She says playfully. “I said I can drive. I didn’t say I was good at it.”

....

 

Veronica finally falls asleep somewhere outside the small town Cookeville. She had giggled at the name and mentioned something her cousin told her once and the next time he turns around she’s asleep. Archie steals a look at her. She looks like a kid, fast asleep in the back seat, coffee stains on her shirt because he’d forgotten to brake before a bump in the road.

 

He’s decided it’s definitely better when she‘s awake. She distracts him. Makes him play car games and tells him stories about her life before Riverdale. He tells her what growing up in Riverdale was like. But he‘s trying his best to stray from anything to do with Betty so he’s only got a limited number of stories to tell. Now, however, he has nothing to do but to think about Betty. And Jughead. How much it hurt that both of them had chosen each other – and not Archie.

 

That had been another punch in the gut. As if Betty breaking up with him hadn’t been painful enough, a week later he’d caught her and Jughead making out in the Blue & Gold newsroom. They had both known that them being together would hurt him. Things would have to change. And still, they’d chosen each other. Maybe if he and Betty never dated he’d be okay with it, hell he’d probably be thrilled for his best friends. But they did and he couldn’t be anything but hurt.

 

He‘s not going back. He makes the decision as they pass yet another border and he feels a wave of relief wash over him. He’s been thinking about it since before they left. He hadn't told Veronica yet. He would stay with her and her mom until she was ready to go back. And then he’d tell her. She, of all people, would understand. She always understood a part of him that no one else could, not even Betty. Veronica knew heartbreak and hurt too.

 

He’s planning to go to Chicago. His mom is there. Just for the summer but if he likes it enough, there are some great colleges he could apply to. He has it all figured out. He just needs to get through the next few days.

 

"Stop worrying" Veronica mumbles sleepily, he glances at her for a second in the mirror. She’s looking at him with that look. The one that makes him think she knows more than she’s letting on.

 

He lets out a nervous laugh. "I can't. Brooding is in my DNA." He smiles. Her eyes are half closed but still, she manages to make him feel better already.

 

"And it’s what I love about you" She whispers, leaning forward to grab her phone from the front seat.

 

"That I worry too much?" He asks, eyes trained on the road.

 

She nods. “Amongst other things.”

…

 

"Ronnie," He says, reaching over and giving her a gentle shake. "We're almost there."

 

Veronica groans. “How is it a million degrees already?” She shuts her eyes again, but the sun is high and coming through the windows. “It’s only...” She glances at the display. 9:00 AM. “Oh my God!” She gasps. “Why didn’t you wake me sooner, Archie?”

 

“Yeah, right. ” He snorts. “I don’t enjoy all the complaining that much.” He says. She throws an empty soda bottle at him. “Ouch!”

 

“I’m a horrible road trip buddy.”

 

“You can make up for it when it’s your turn.”

 

“I will. I promise.”  She says with a bright smile. Archie steals another glimpse at her when she groans, seeing how bad the stains on her shirt are. She starts to pull it off over her head, slides her arms out ever so carefully and before he knows it she’s sitting in his back seat in just a bra.

 

He has to force himself to look away. “Hey, can you hand me my purse from over there.” She says, pointing in the general direction of her seat. “I think I’ve got an extra t-shirt in there.”

 

He misses it, too busy trying to think of anything else. Anything besides his incredibly attractive best friend undressing in the back of his car. “Earth to Andrews...”  She waves a hand in the air to catch his attention.

 

“What? Oh-uh... here.” He picks her bag up off the floor and passes it back, eyes glued to the road.

 

“Thanks.” She says. He waits a few seconds and then checks to see if she’s done. She is. She’s stretching her limbs when something under the seat catches her eye. "How did you know how to get here, by the way?" She asks suspiciously.

 

Archie's eyes flicker away from hers, onto the road. "I read the signs." He says.

 

She hits him on the head with the map she’s just picked up off the floor. "Liar!" She exclaims. “I can’t believe you. We agreed on not using the GPS. Road trip rules, remember?”

 

“There were only 3 rules.” He reminds her. “And that was not one of them. Besides, I had to keep myself distracted.” She raises her brows. “Jughead called.”

 

She lets out a breath. “What did he say?”

 

“I didn’t answer.”

 

She scrunches up her nose "Sorry I was asleep.” She says.

 

"Sorry I used the GPS."

 

She laughs. "How long before we get there?"

 

"I don’t know," Archie says with a smirk. “But If I was using the GPS, I would be able to tell you.”

 

She rolls her eyes.

…

 

Hermione Lodge is waiting on the porch when they pull into the driveway.  Ronnie’s entire face lights up, as she pushes open her door and jumps out of the car. Even in her heeled boots, she manages to run across the cobblestone driveway and into her mothers welcoming arms. Archie smiles at the sight and heads to the back of the car to grab his duffel and Veronica’s suitcases. Plural.

 

"Míja." Hermione purrs in Veronica's ear making her giggle.

 

"Hi, mommy." She kisses her cheek, holds her for a minute and finally catches her breath.

 

When she pulls away a minute later Hermione meets Archie’s eyes. “I’m glad you could make it, Archie.” He smiles. She looks different. Not the same person he saw leave the Pembrooke months ago. The new Hermione Lodge is sitting on a porch chair in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt drinking iced tea.

 

"Glad to be here," Archie says politely. Veronica smiles.

 

“The house looks lovely, mom,” Veronica says. Archie takes the opportunity to take it in. It’s a small burrow-type home. Exactly what he’d pictured a house in Memphis would look like.

 

“Yeah.” Hermione runs a hand through her daughter's hair, tucks a few loose strands behind her ear. “It’s uh... it’s not the Pembrooke, but it’s home now.” Archie catches a flicker of something in Veronica’s eyes. Something he’s been feeling for weeks. Disappointed. Lonely. Hurt.

 

It’s gone as fast as it appears. “That’s great, mom.” Veronica leans forward and presses a kiss to her mother’s cheek.

 

"Why don’t we get you two settled, then?" Hermione finally says, leading the two of them into the house."I'll show to your rooms." They’re identical guest rooms. White and spotless with a vase of flowers meticulously placed in the center of the table. “Are you hungry? I made lasagna.” Hermione asks him after Veronica’s collapsed onto her bed.

 

"Starved." He laughs, dropping his bag onto the floor.

…

 

When Archie wakes up the next morning, he immediately hears the voices coming from downstairs. Veronica and her mom are speaking Spanish, laughing about something one of them just said. He groans and makes his way out of bed. He can tell it’s a hot day outside, the room feels warm even though the ceiling fan is moving at full speed. Great. More heat.

 

He puts on his shoes and quietly makes his way downstairs. "Hey," He says, stepping into the kitchen. The two of them are seated at the table, eating scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. It smells delicious.

 

"Morning, Archiekins," Veronica says, smiling. She slides a plate across the marble tabletop towards him. “Help yourself.”

 

Hermione urges him. “Mi casa es sous casa.” Veronica smiles at him again before taking a sip of her orange juice. "Veronica and I were just talking about me showing you two the city today"

 

"I’d love that, Mrs. Lodge," Archie says, still feeling incredibly tired. Veronica meets his eyes and winks at him.

 

The tour consists of them driving them around the city while Hermione points out all the landmarks. She’d originally planned on taking them to each one but there was an emergency at work and she had to go in much earlier than expected. So their tour would have to be cut short. That’s why she decided poiinting them out would be much faster and this way she’d still get to spend time with the two of them. Archie feels his head spinning; he hadn't slept properly in weeks and last night was the closest he’s come to a full night of sleep in way too long. All of those sleepless nights are finally catching up to him.

 

It‘s sweltering hot outside and apparently Hermione’s cars AC is out of order so they’re trying their best to survive. Veronica stopped at a small kiosk in the middle of the street to buy a fan that sprays mist, but it’s been doing more harm than good. The water just makes them feel sticky as well as hot.

 

It’s not the ultimate vacation.

 

"And here is my favorite place," Hermione says, pointing at a small cafe on a street corner.

 

“Lola’s?” Veronica asks, staring into the mirror,  lifting her hair into a messy bun.

 

“It’s the cutest place, Ronnie.” Her mom says excitedly, grinning widely. “They have a small stage right up in front and last time I was here I promised your tia I’d bring you here to show these people how it’s done.”

 

"That sounds incredible,”  Archie says excitedly. “Ronnie maybe you could sing the song you’ve been working on.”

 

“You’re writing again?” Hermione’s eyes light up.

 

“No... it’s nothing.” Veronica mumbles, playing with her bracelet. Archie’s never seen her like this before. It’s new. Strange. Veronica's never been uncertain. She’s always strong and sure. It’s what makes her Veronica.

 

“It’s amazing,” Archie says, placing a hand over hers for reassurance. She offers him a small smile.

 

“I can’t wait to hear it, Mija.” Hermione takes a deep breath. “There’s actually something I wanted to tell you.” Veronica stares at her expectantly. Waiting. “I’ve been seeing someone.”

 

“Oh.” She clears her throat. “For how long?”

 

"Just a few weeks.” Her mother assures her. “It’s not serious, I just thought you should know. I didn’t want you to find out from someone else.” She whispers hesitantly.

 

Veronica takes her hand silently. “As long as you’re happy, I’m happy.” They share a smile as they all clamber out of the heated car. "What’s on their lunch menu?" Veronica asks as they’re walking in.

 

"Their sandwiches are to die for,"  Hermione assures her. "But I can’t stay. I have to get back to the office. But you kids stay, have a good time. Lunch on me, okay?"

 

Veronica nods. "Sounds great.”

…

 

Her and Archie end up strolling through the streets of Memphis, taking in the summer heat and doing some sightseeing. Veronica tells him about the botanical gardens she used to visit with her aunt when she was younger. They ask around for a few minutes before getting directions to the park.

 

It’s beautiful. And huge. They get lost three times just looking for the entrance.

 

They’re waiting in line at an ice cream truck, heat almost killing them when Archie realizes just how much he enjoys spending time with Veronica. She makes him happy, she makes him laugh, she makes him do things... want to do things he’s never done before. She understands him. It’s one of his favorite things about her. He can talk to her about anything and she’ll always understand.

 

“Here you go.” A short, redheaded lady tells him, handing him their ice cream cones. “One chocolate and one vanilla.”

 

“Finally.” Ronnie cheers when Archie hands it to her a minute later. They start walking along the river in the park. It's beautiful.

 

"Can I ask you something?” She says, adjusting her cone in her palm. Archie nods hesitantly. “If you could be any season, what season do you think you’d be?" She says with a straight face.

 

“Ronnie, I think you’re only supposed to play road trip games when you’re actually in the car.” He laughs.

 

“I’m curious.”

 

"Any season?" He asks with a confused smile on his face.

 

"It’s not like there’s a million to choose from.” She rolls her eyes. “I mean what season do you feel most comfortable in? When you forget everything bad that's ever happened and just feel this overwhelming sense of peace." She says, voice low.

 

"I guess I never really thought about it." He looks at her. “What would you be?”  

 

"Fall.” She responds instantly. He laughs and gives her a questioning look. “I just love everything about it. The colors, the wind in my hair. When I was a kid I’d spend all day playing in big hills of leaves. The once my dad and I drove upstate to our old cabin in the fall and we spent the entire day outside just kicking around in the leaves." She says with a sad smile on her face. She sighs. “He... he wasn’t always bad.”

 

“Ronnie-“

 

“Your turn.” She says, voice loudening as she plasters a smile on her face. “Which season would you be?”

 

"I don’t know." He says, thinking it through. They walk around in silence for a few minutes before he decides. “I think they’ve all got something to offer.” He says proudly.

 

She rolls her eyes. “Even summer?” The breeze is blowing her hair all over the place, he can feel it rustling in his own too.

 

“We’re here, aren’t we?” He takes her hand in his. “And we’re having a good time.”

 

“Yes, we are.” She smiles, blushing. She lets go of his hand, runs her own through her hair.

 

"What are you thinking?"He asks nervously, smiles at her and she smiles right back.

 

“Nothing important.” She tosses her empty cone into the trash can beside them, laughs a warm laugh that makes his knees weak. “You’re just full of surprises aren’t you?”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“One minute you’re pining over... her.” She bites her tongue. “And the next you’re having a genuinely good time. How?”

 

“Because of you, Ronnie.” He meets her eyes, suddenly feels incredibly exposed. “Thank you.” He whispers.

 

“Of course.” She holds his gaze. “Any time you need someone to get you through, I’m your girl.”  

 

“I know.”

            ** _TODAY_**

 

Once Riverdale is behind her, Veronica manages (barely) to drive about thirteen hours before pulling over at around eight in the morning at a motel just on the outskirts of Atlanta. The weather is beautiful, especially at this time of year. There’s a refreshing crisp breeze and it looks like it might rain.

 

Veronica drops all her things as soon as she’s inside her room. She is utterly exhausted and thoughts of Archie are slowly filling her mind, driving her crazy. About halfway here she’d considered heading back to Memphis. Her mother definitely wouldn’t mind that at all, but thinking about what happened the last time she was there, she decided against it.

 

This place looks like one of the motels her and Archie stayed at on their little road trip. There’s lilac wallpaper peeling off the walls and the bed isn’t as comfy as she’d like it to be but it’s here and she feels like she’s going to pass out. Back then, when she stayed in a room with a similar violet carpet, she and Archie were still just friends and things were remarkably less complicated. She'd thought he was being crazy, pining after Betty all day, barely sleeping at night. She thinks she liked it better when they were all just friends.

 

On second thought, she concludes,  maybe she and Archie were never just friends. Maybe there was always something beneath the surface. Lingering. Waiting.

 

Or maybe it was just her.

 

Maybe she should have realized sooner that something was going on. She should have known better than to think Archie's feelings for her were real...that they were anything besides platonic.

 

She decides sleep is her best option if she really wants to stop this cycle of blaming Archie, blaming Betty, even blaming Jughead, and then ultimately, blaming herself. The sheets are soft against her skin, which is a pleasant surprise. She’d had to pay an extra seven dollars to get the room cleaned before she got here, another three to get the room before noon.

 

She thinks she’s finally in the clear once her head hits the pillow. It’s been a really long night, a really long week, a few months actually. But she lies staring at the ceiling, trapped in her train of thought. She’s been playing this game for weeks. Where did things go wrong? Were they ever right? Maybe it was when she offered to take Archie on a road trip, maybe somewhere around North Carolina when she couldn’t stop stealing glances at him, maybe when she moved to Riverdale. She starts spiraling and it isn’t until nearly thirty minutes of sobbing uncontrollably later that she finally drifts off.

....

 

When she wakes up next it’s already dark outside. The headache she’d had since before Pop’s has finally dissipated. She considers staying the night, she saw a sign for a local diner up ahead earlier. She could probably get some dinner and then catch up on more sleep before heading off again.

 

But she ultimately decides against it, needing to keep herself busy. Keep herself distracted.  She takes a quick shower before packing the few things she’d brought with her back into her car. Then she checks-out at the front desk and continues on her way.

 

She’s not comfortable still being this close to Archie, plans to keep driving until she’s far enough away that she can be happy. Can even think about being happy.

 

She’s back on the highway, moving steadily through the vast expanse of nothing when she realizes a road trip might’ve been the worst idea. This all started with her and Archie running away, a road trip just the two of them. And every time she turns on the radio she imagines him begging her to change the station, smiling at her, being here with her.

...

 

She stops at a small breakfast joint just past Albuquerque, and freshens up in the bathroom, grabs some breakfast and then heads back onto the road.

 

She’s decided on Los Angeles. It’s one of the few cities she and Archie hadn’t been to. She’d wanted to show it to him, it was one of her favorite places. But they’d never made it there.

 

Once she finally knows where she’s going she’s not going to stop until she gets there.

...

 

It’s not until she sees a sign welcoming her to Los Angeles that she feels something wash over her.  She’s not sure if it’s relief or dread. Either way, she really did it, she left Riverdale, and she drove across almost the entire country. Alone.

 

It’s almost definitely a relief.

 

She’s always loved L.A. Ever since she was little and she decided she wanted to be an actress. She was mesmerized by the lights. By how alive the entire city was. New York may be the city of lights but there was something about this place that had always piqued Veronica’s interest. Eventually, her dream of being an actress faded as she grew older but she only found it more and more appealing. Everything about it just seemed so... untethered. Free.

 

The night is beautiful. She feels captivated just looking out at the streets. They’re covered in colorful lights and outrageous nightlife. Everything is moving so fast. There’s so much commotion. Tour buses, cars, people blurring past her, there’s so much to look at. Her head is spinning.

 

If her life had been different, if her father had never gone to prison, she’d probably be pulling into one of the pricy, stunning starlet-worthy hotels right now. Where they’d offer her champagne at the entrance and someone would take her bags to her room for her. Where her window would overlook the entire city.

 

Then again, if her father was never arrested she might not have even been in this situation in the first place.

 

She pulls into a less flashy hotel, instead. One with a small bar tucked away next to the lounge. She checks-in for one-night only, still not a hundred percent sure she wants to stick around for long.

 

The first thing Veronica does once she gets up to her room is collapse onto the bed. She’d made it across the entire country in almost 2 days and there was nothing she wanted more than sleep right now. But she remembers her promise to him and decides to call Jughead first.

 

He answers on the third ring. “Hey.” They’d been completely out of sync since she left. She’d tried calling whenever she stopped over somewhere, or when she was crashing in a motel, but it had been a bit difficult since she tossed her phone out of the window when she was leaving Riverdale. She’d been using landlines and even a payphone once. He’d probably tried calling her a million times.  

 

“Are you trying to kill me?” He says, but she hears him breathe a sigh of relief. “Where the hell have you been? I’ve been trying to call you for three days, why didn’t you answer your phone?”

 

“I miss you too, Jug.” She smiles, feeling better already. Tonight is a Sunday night. It’s just past sunset and so, in true Jughead fashion, he’s probably working on his novel, considering rewriting a paragraph he’s been staring at for hours. When he doesn’t respond she continues, “I threw my phone off the side of the road a few miles outside of Riverdale.” She tells him.

 

He laughs. “Of course you did.” He sounds tired, confused.

 

“I'll get a new one... eventually.”

 

"Where are you?"

 

"L.A," Veronica states with a smirk, "I just checked into the hotel like five minutes ago. It's incredible here, Jug, you have no idea. You should’ve come with me."

 

”L.A," He echoes. He sounds wistful, again wondering if he would’ve been better off skipping town with Veronica. “That’s far.”

 

"Hopefully far enough," Veronica says, almost second guessing her hasty decision. She doesn't regret it though, not really. Especially not the throwing her phone out of a moving vehicle part. Now there's no way for Archie to reach her, no way for him to guilt her into going back, or ask her to explain her reasons for leaving. "I have no idea how long I’ll be here for, Jug. Hell, maybe I’ll be gone by tomorrow night, but I need a distraction and this is the perfect place. There’s so much to do. I want to do the walk of fame, head down to the beach, and I’ve got this old friend who lives here, she knows all the best places…" She says playfully.

 

"Veronica," He starts in his low, responsible, ‘don’t start with me’ voice, "I don't know if L.A is the best place for you to be right now, especially by yourself. Do you know when you’re coming home?"

 

"I just left, Jughead," Veronica reminds him a little impatiently, "I don't know when I'm coming back. I don’t know if I’m coming back... You don't have to worry about me, okay? I can take care of myself. Just trust me."

 

"All right, all right." He sighs, "But if you end up becoming famous I’ll have to cut all ties with you, sorry." Veronica laughs. Jughead sighs. “He’s asking about you...you know?” He says, voice heavy.

 

“You didn’t tell him I left yet did you?”

 

“I didn’t have to.”

....

 

When she finally hangs up she’s not tired anymore. She’s in the mood for some fun. For drinking and dancing and having a good time. She hops in the shower before slipping into her sexiest black dress, and heading down to the lounge and waiting for her friend.

 

Veronica had met Toni back when she was living in New York and the two had become friends immediately. Toni was the only one of Veronica’s friends who weren’t completely devoid of human emotion and obsessed with the world she came from. She’d moved to LA just a few months before Ronnie had moved to Riverdale. And she knew all the best places to go for a good time. Because as much as Veronica liked Reggie, she doubts the fake ID’s he made her will hold up anywhere besides the one bar in Greendale they’d visited together.

 

When she sees Toni, she jumps out of her seat and runs towards her, pulling her in for a warm hug.

 

“Ronnie!” The brunette squeals, pressing a kiss to Veronica’s cheek. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

 

“Me neither.” Veronica smiles.

...

 

Toni takes her to a rave at a warehouse just off of Venice beach. It’s loud and messy and exactly what she needs right now. She loses Toni as soon as they walk through the door, ends up filling cup after cup of beer.

 

She only stands at the corner of the loud and busy room for a minute before she’s pulled into the dance floor by a stranger and then it’s all a blur. The music is blaring, the place is a mess, everyone is drunk or so close to it.

 

She finds Toni a minute later in the epicenter of the crowd, swaying her hips and throwing her hair back and she decides to join her. It’s exhilarating. Intoxicating. More fun than she’s had in ages.

 

...

 

When the DJ informs the crowd he’s taking a small break,  Veronica crashes at the bar, sets herself down cautiously and runs a hand through her hair.  She sees someone staring in her direction. He has sandy, almost golden hair, and piercing forest green eyes. He appears to be in his early twenties, wearing a white t-shirt underneath a worn leather jacket. He gives her a smirk at the same moment as the bartender places a pink drink in front of her.

 

"From the guy in the back" He explains, tipping his head and gesturing towards the guy from a second ago.

 

"Thank you," Veronica says, meeting his eyes once more across the room. She smiles and holds her glass out to him in. She mouths a smiley ‘cheers’ and he returns it with a grin before she downs her drink.

 

When she looks back, he's not there anymore. She feels slightly disappointed. “Whoever stood you up is making the biggest mistake of his life.” A voice comes from behind her.

 

She spins on her bar stool, finding herself face-to-face with the green-eyed man, who is even more attractive up close than he was from afar. She smiles coyly and nods, the first effects of the alcohol sinking in and making her feel comfortable and at ease. Lightheaded. Untethered.

 

The magic of L.A.

 

She wishes it were magical enough to make her forget that she's here to escape from Archie. She is drunk enough, however, to flirt with a handsome stranger and enjoy herself.

 

"Thanks for the..." Veronica gestures to the empty glass in her hand before placing it on the marble counter. "And I’m actually here with a friend," She tilts her head, smile widening.

 

"Ah, I see" He responds, sliding onto the empty bar stool next to hers, "Alex."

 

“Veronica.”

 

After a brief pause, he asks, "You new in town?"

 

"Very." She says with a small laugh. He gives her a questioning look. “I just got here about an hour or two ago.”

 

"No way,” He says, waves the bartender over to refill his drink. “So you're fresh off the plane, huh?” She nods. Alex comments, "And by yourself, too?"

 

“With a friend.” Veronica corrects him.

 

"Sounds like you need another drink," He asks the bartender to fill her glass too. While they wait, he asks, “So, where are you from?”

 

"Small town. You probably wouldn’t have heard of it.” Veronica answers, playing with her bracelet. "And I don't want to talk about home." She shrugs unapologetically, something she would never have done if not for the four cups of beer prior to this conversation. "I came here to...escape."

 

"Fine by me," Alex agrees, throwing down a tip for the bartender when he slides over his and Veronica's drinks. He takes a gulp of his drink, and she can feel his eyes watching her from the corner of her eye as she sips her drink through its tiny pink straw. She thinks he’s incredibly attractive. Nice to look at, handsome, beautiful even. Like he doesn’t want need to know anything about her and she’s perfectly fine with not sharing.  It might be fun.

 

Veronica feels his hand slide over her own after she places it on the cold marble table. “Do you want to get out of here?” He asks, she raises her eyebrows slowly, surprised to find him suddenly so close to her. He lets out a small laugh when he sees the look in her eyes. “I meant we could walk down to the beach. There’s this great waffle shop open all night.”

 

“Yes.” She responds, almost instantly. Apparently, in L.A, no one falls asleep until the sun comes up; at least, Alex doesn't.

 

Veronica contemplates his offer. It doesn’t skip her mind even in her drunken state that he never said he wouldn't try and take her home with him at some point. She‘s not sure if she should put herself in that position, being as vulnerable, as fragile as she is at the moment.

 

But then she thinks of Archie. Of course, she does. Of all he did and all she let him do, “Screw it.” She says, emptying her glass in one sip. She just traveled across the entire country for some fun. She deserves this. She needs this.  

 

And she can do it. She can have shameless and unattached sex with a handsome stranger if she so chooses. She's done it before. Before Riverdale.

 

She wonders if it would make Archie jealous, and actually grins when she decides that he would be furious. He would, even if they hadn't... whatever they were these past few months. Alex is the exact kind of person Archie would hate, and that makes Veronica think he's the perfect mistake to make right now.

 

"Sure," Veronica agrees, taking his outstretched hand, "Let's go."


	3. part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I think I had this illusion of what this visit would be like." She tells him a minute later. "It’s horrible, I know. But I think a small part of me was hoping my mom’s life here would be miserable. That she’d miss me more. Maybe that us being here would somehow be the push she needed to come back home.” She shifts in her seat. “But instead she’s happy and she’s got this entire life here that doesn’t involve me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Again I just want to say thank you all so much for all of your incredibly kind comments. I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a review/share your thoughts about this, it just motivates me to write faster. I'm still so surprised that so many people read this and enjoyed it. It means so much to me. 
> 
> I'd love to hear what you guys think of this chapter!
> 
> Enjoy :)

_**i. three months ago** _

 

"Your mom seems happy," Archie says politely. Veronica laughs. They’re sitting on the porch outside the house. Veronica's absentmindedly flipping through a magazine, a glass of iced tea in her hand. Nothing's ever tasted as good as these ice cold drinks in the heat.

 

They’ve been here almost three days now. Hermione had managed to show them pretty much the whole of Memphis. They've been to so many restaurants he’s pretty sure he can never eat ever again.

 

"That’s an understatement." She says, blowing a piece of hair out of her face. She sighs. "I think I had this illusion of what this visit would be like." She tells him a minute later. "It’s horrible, I know. But I think a small part of me was hoping my mom’s life here would be miserable. That she’d miss me more. Maybe that us being here would somehow be the push she needed to come back home.” She shifts in her seat. “But instead she’s happy and she’s got this entire life here that doesn’t involve me.”

 

“Veronica-“ He starts but trails off, not finishing his sentence, unsure of what to say.

 

“I told you it was horrible.” She shrugs, takes a sip of her drink. He’s watching her with his head tilted to one side and he can tell it’s getting to her because she refuses to meet his eyes.

 

He places a hand over hers. “Veronica, it’s not horrible.” He assures her. She meets his eyes, holds his gaze. “It’s human. You just want to know that your mom is missing you as much as you’re missing her.”

 

She sighs.

 

“She is.” He tells her, bringing his glass to his lips. “Trust me.”

 

"Maybe." He can tell she’s cracking when she starts smiling, not daring to look at him again.

 

"Is this why you’ve been acting weird ever since we left Riverdale?" He asks.

 

“I thought you said you were dropping that.” She says pointedly, pushes a strand of her behind her ear, fanning herself. It’s almost sunset so it’s cooled down a lot since this morning, but it’s still incredibly humid.

 

“I did say that.” Archie nods. She rolls her eyes. “But I still care.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Why do I care?” He asks incredulously but she simply gives him a small nod. The long answer is that every time he even considers the thought of Veronica hurting, his fists clench and his heart starts racing. He gives her the short one instead. “The same reason you dragged me all the way to Memphis. Because I’m your friend. I’m here for you.” 

 

"Thank you," She says, letting out a heavy breath. Her voice sounding smaller than a second ago. “For being here for me.”

 

“Anytime.” He can’t help but think back to that morning a few years ago. When his mom had stood in the doorway, her entire life packed into 4 suitcases. Everything she needed. Besides Archie. Back then, he thought she didn’t need him, she hadn’t put up much of a fight when he said he wanted to stay in Riverdale. He hadn’t said a word to her for almost two months after she left.

 

If Veronica is feeling even a little of what he felt back then, he’s going to be here for her.

 

"You heard any news from home?" She asks, brushing it off casually. Everyday conversation. Translation; Have you heard anything from Betty?

 

He shakes his head. "No." He can’t tell if she wanted him to have or not. What would she want to know anyway? “You waiting for something?”

 

“Nope.” She says with an all-too-wide smile. He can’t tell if she’s lying.She still hasn’t met his eyes so trying to tell what she’s thinking is a mission. As if her being Veronica Lodge didn't make it hard enough already.

 

…

 

"So, you and Archie? Is there something going between the two of you?” He hears Hermione say. He’s just about to go out for a walk when he overhears her in the kitchen. He doesn’t mean to. Really. But once he does he freezes, can’t seem to move an inch. Let alone out of the front door.

 

For a second, she doesn’t say anything. He wonders if she’d say yes. He’s confused because he can’t decide what he’d prefer she says. “No.” She replies.

 

"No?" Her mom repeats, sounding slightly disappointed. Veronica shakes her head.

 

“He and Betty are going through something.” She says.

 

"Really?" She asks. "It’s a shame." What? He steals a glance through the crack in the door just in time to catch Veronica giving her mother a pointed look.

 

“What?!” Hermione says defensively. “I meant that they're not together.” Veronica doesn’t say anything. “Sorry.” A few beats pass before Veronica pipes up again.

 

Veronica gives a small nod. He knows she wouldn’t talk about this, whether or not she knew he was just outside the door.“Yeah, I’m not sure what happened.”

 

Hermione sighs. “What about you, huh?” She puts down the plate she’d been towel-drying and starts playing with Veronica’s hair. “Are you seeing anyone special?”

 

She shakes her head. "Not since Nick." Archie had almost forgotten about him. Nick was one of Veronica’s friends from back in New York. He’d rolled into Riverdale just a few weeks before everything with the Lodges went down.

 

From the first time Archie saw him, he’d made his blood boil, made him want to punch him in the face every time he opened his mouth. But Ronnie liked him. They had a history.

 

And so they’d started dating. It didn’t last long, less than 2 weeks later Nick was gone and Veronica was hauled up in the Pembrooke for two days. He never found out why the broke up.

 

Her mom looks different for a second. Strange. Almost sad. He can’t place it. "Well, college boys are always better anyway," She says with a smile. Veronica laughs.

 

Archie chooses that moment to finally leave, tripping over a loose floorboard in the process. It makes a noise and he’s planning on just rushing off but Veronica comes scurrying out of the room almost instantly. “You okay there, Lone Ranger?” She asks with a smirk.

 

He pursed his lips. “Yeah, I uh... I was just going out for a walk.”

 

“Well have fun, then.” She says, turning back to the kitchen. He catches her hand in his right before she slips away, pulling her back. She gives him a pointed look.

 

"You need some help with dinner?"

 

“That depends,” Veronica says. “Can you make a salad?”

 

“Not to save my life.” He says incredulously. She gives him her best pout. All of a sudden he is increasingly aware of how close she’s standing to him, of her hand in his, of her perfume; violets and something else. “But I can try.”

 

"Great!" Veronica exclaims, clapping her hands. She drags him behind her to the kitchen, stops in front of the island and lets go of his hand. “Chop chop, Archiekins.”

....

 

After dinner, Hermione insists that they join her for drinks in the garden. Veronica looks like she’s about to fall asleep, so she heads up to her room. And Archie doesn’t know how to get out of it without being rude. He’s not sure what exactly he and Hermione could possibly talk about.

 

Apparently, she’s got some ideas, though. Because as soon as they’re outside she starts. "Veronica tells me that you two are just friends." She pulls up a chair and sits down before Archie joins her.

 

"Yeah, she's helped me get through so much these past few weeks." He says honestly. He has no idea where he’d be without her. “She’s one of my best friends.” She might be his only one right now.

 

"That’s sweet of you to say." She smiles.

 

“It’s the truth.”

 

“I was sorry to hear about you and Betty,” Hermione says solemnly. Archie smiles politely. He sips his root beer and let his gaze wander across the yard. “I know the feeling.” She says, offers him a warm smile. “I’ve definitely had my fair share of heartbreak.”

 

He never thought he’d see the day Hermione Lodge would sit on a lounge chair in the garden telling him stories of heartbreak. It was a strange change of pace, to say the least.

 

He hadn’t considered how much Hiram being gone had affected her. He’d been there for Veronica, she’d been a mess afterward. It wasn't easy to be there for her; she wasn't too keen on wearing her emotions on her sleeve. But he'd been there, nonetheless. Hermione, on the other hand, had just left town. He’d never considered that it hurt her too. It makes sense that she’d rebuild her entire life from scratch all on her own. That she’d not just survive but thrive. Veronica had to get her resilience from someone.

 

“You mean Mr. Lodge?” Archie asks, almost instantly regretting his forwardness.

 

“Among others.” She takes another sip from her glass of wine. She hesitates. "How is she... Veronica? How is she coping with everything?”

 

“She’s tough.” Hermione nods in agreement. “She thinks she’s going through this alone. I don’t know how to let her know that I’m here for her... that we all are.”

 

“I’m sure she knows. Veronica has always been a force of nature.” She assures him. “But she’ll open up as soon as she’s ready. Just don’t give up on her.”

 

“Never.” He means it, there’s nothing anyone could ever do that would make him give up on her.

 

"Sometimes I think that I should have left Hiram years ago." She says, finishing her drink. "Veronica always deserved better than the life we gave her. "

 

"Then why didn't you?" He only realizes how crude it is once he’s said it, but she doesn’t seem to mind it.

 

"It was complicated.” Archie nods, keeping in check. “But it’s going to be better now. I’m going to be better for her.”

 

…

 

When they finally make it back to the house, Archie makes his way back to his room. When he opens the door his eyes immediately drift to Veronica, sprawled out on the bed, absentmindedly flipping through a magazine.

 

"Hey," He says, shutting the door behind him. "You're still up."

 

“Hey, you’re back.” She smiles, looking up. “How was the date?” She wiggles her eyebrows, before shaking her head and grimacing. "Please pretend I didn't just ask that."She sits up.

 

"Gladly." He raises an eyebrow. “What are you doing?” 

 

“I came in here to find your phone because it would not stop buzzing, I could hear it all the way across the hall.” She says, rolling her eyes. Archie grabs his phone from on top of the nightstand. Eight missed calls and a voicemail from Jughead.

 

“Yeah I think... he might want to talk to you.” She smiles. Archie turns his phone off, tosses it into his bag.

 

“I’m not ready yet.”

 

“Okay.” She says. He feels even more grateful that of all people, he's here with Veronica. She’s always been there for him, always supported him no matter what. No questions asked. He’d never had that before, not with Betty, not with Jughead, and he hadn’t even realized he needed someone to be there–to be Team Archie no matter what– until Veronica had been. “But you can’t use that excuse forever.”

 

“I know.”

 

"Did you bring your entire wardrobe with you?" Veronica asks suddenly, making her way to his bag, filled to the brim with almost all of his clothes, aside from formal wear. He figured wherever he was going he wouldn’t need any of the tuxes his mom had forced him to buy. Veronica rummages through it, looking incredibly amused. "You know, this is the twenty-first century, Archie. We have washing machines now."

 

He laughs, putting back into the bag whatever Veronica discards. “You’re one to talk. You have at least 3 full suitcases worth of things.”

 

“Yeah, well I need all of that.” She gestures to herself. “This doesn’t just happen.” Archie chuckles. “Seriously, though.” She says.

 

"What?"

 

He feels her watch him carefully for almost a minute. “You’re not coming home with me.” It’s not so much a question as it is a realization.

 

“No.” Riverdale hasn’t felt like home in a long time.

 

“Where are you going, then?”

 

“I’m still not sure.” He says honestly. “Maybe Chicago.” She nods, doesn’t look mad or even surprised. "Ronnie, I should have told you. I was just waiting for the right time."

 

She offers him her brightest smile. “All’s well, Archiekins.” She whispers. “Trust me, I get it.” Her smile is enough to convince him she means it. "Does your dad know?”

 

"I told him I’m going to stay with my mom for a while." He shrugs.

 

"Are you driving down?" He nods again, not sure what to say for the millionth time tonight. He wishes he could tell what she’s thinking."Do you want some company?" She asks. It throws him off guard. It’s not at all what he was expecting her to say. He doesn’t know how to answer her question.

 

"Don’t you need to be getting home?" He asks, daring to meet her eyes. He can’t tell if she means it. If she’d drop everything just to go with him. If he wants her to.

 

The sensible part of him doesn’t. He needs this; time alone. He‘s never been on his own, granted he’d still have his mom, but it might be nice. To not be dependent on anyone. God knows how being so dependent on someone has turned out for him so far.

 

But another part of him- the part that loves the sound of her laughter and missed her more than anything when she left town for the summer- thinks it would be incredible. Having Veronica around always makes everything better. Whenever he’s with her it doesn’t matter what’s going on, she makes him feel like everything is going to be okay.

 

"To what?" She asks, her voice ringing with something he recognizes a little too well. "That small run-down apartment that doesn’t even have a window? My mom’s here, my dad...” She trails off. “The year is almost over and there’s nothing left for me there.“

 

“What about your friends?”

 

“You mean Betty?” She asks unconsciously. He flinches. "Sorry" She apologizes.

 

“Not only Betty.” He says, waves her off. “There are a lot of people that care about you.”

 

“Maybe.” She whispers, he sees her smile almost falter for a second but she inhales and its back as wide as ever before he can blink. “I think a break would be good.”

 

"I don't know," He says, answering her first question.

 

"Think about it." She places her hand on his shoulder, standing up off the bed. "And don't say yes just to please me."

 

He nods. "Okay."

…

 

The sun has barely risen when the sound of his phone ringing wakes him up the next morning. He forces his eyes open, distractedly answering the phone and pressing it to his ear.“Hey.” Her voice comes. He feels like he’s going to be sick, wonders if it’s too late to hang up.

 

"You woke me" He complains, mostly because he can’t think of anything else to say.

 

“Sorry,” Betty says. He can hear how anxious she is, can picture her nervously pacing around her room to keep herself busy. "I need to talk to you.”

 

"I’m not sure right now is the best time," Archie mutters, but she’s still talking.

 

"Where are you?"

 

"In Memphis." Betty lets out a heavy breath.

 

“Why?” She asks.

 

"I needed to get out of Riverdale." He answers, sitting up in his bed. The alarm clock flashes the time: 6:30 AM. Jesus. Archie lies back down on the sheets. “And Ronnie offered to bring me along.”

 

"What are you two doing?" She bites. If they hadn’t left things so broken he might’ve classified the heaviness of her voice as jealousy.

 

Archie rolls her eyes. "Why do you care?

 

"Because I care about you."

 

"Just not enough, right?" Archie remarks, his tone harsh and venomous.

Betty doesn’t reply to that, breathes heavily on the other end. He feels the overwhelming urge to hang up the phone again.

 

"Archie, I’m so sorry.” She whispers, so quietly that he probably wouldn’t have heard it if he wasn’t waiting for her to say something.

 

“Is there a reason you’re calling this early in the morning, Betty?” He shuts his eyes.

 

"I just miss you.” She says sadly.

 

"I miss you too." Archie sighs.

 

"I hope you find whatever you’re looking for out there," Betty says, her voice cracking only slightly.

 

"Me too." He hangs up before he says something he’ll regret.

 

…

 

When Archie comes downstairs Veronica is already sitting at the kitchen table, drinking a cup of coffee.

 

"Morning," He says, brightly, wondering if she had overheard his conversation with his ex.

 

She nods at him and gestures to the full coffee pot in front of her. He reaches into the cabinet and grabs a mug for himself before filling it with hot coffee.

 

"I want you to come." He says quietly. "If you still want to."

 

He’d been thinking about it all night. He’d barely gotten any sleep, but it was worth it because he decided nothing would be better than having her with him.

 

Her smile is infectious. "I want to." He sits down next to her at the table, enjoying the taste of the coffee. For someone who up until a few months ago had probably never made her own cup of coffee, Veronica was surprisingly good at it. "When do you want to leave?"

 

"Whenever you feel ready."

 

"Tomorrow, then." She says, almost too eagerly. "I’ll talk to my mom, let her know... I’ll be packed and ready to go by sunrise."

…

 

Archies eyes are just drifting over a sign reading ‘You are now leaving Memphis’ when Veronica asks, “Are we headed straight to Chicago?” 

 

She’s driving this time around and it’s got him fearing for his life. Veronica isn’t exactly great at it. But it was worse when they were still on the freeway, now there’s barely any cars around so she’s managed to find slow down, stick to one lane. She’s moving much more steadily. Archie shrugs. “I haven’t really thought about it. Why?”

 

“I was thinking.” She beams, he can see the excitement building inside her. Her eyes are lighting up as she speaks, “We could go all out... make it a proper road trip. You know, go full Thelma and Louise.” He raises his brow pointedly. “Without all the murder, rape, and running from the law, of course.”

 

“Of course.” He scoffs.

 

“Stop! I’m being serious.” She says, slaps his shoulder. “We can drive through the South, stop in small towns, sleep at B&B’s or motels. I only have to be back in time for finals, so we’ve still got at least another three weeks.” She gives a playful grin, wiggles her eyebrows. “I’ll take a bus back from there.” He can feel her watching his face carefully.

 

“Sure!” He says, smiling. He reaches under his seat, shuffles around for a minute or two until he finds it. “But you’re going to have to teach me how to read this... I mean, I guess the GPS is still out of the question?” He drops the map onto her lap.

 

“It’s a map, Archie.” She scoffs, rolls her eyes a little. “Not Da Vinci’s Code.”

 

“Either you teach me.... or we use the GPS. The choice is yours.”

 

“Fine.” She says, dropping her shoulders in defeat. She sighs. “But we’re going to need some more rules.”

 

“Great.” He can’t understand the need for any of the rules, let alone more of them.

 

"New rule,” She starts. “If you need space... if you need me to go home, tell me. I don’t need you to treat me with kid gloves. I can handle it" She says.

 

Archie nods. "Okay." They both know he’s just humoring her. He could never ask her to leave.

 

"Rule number...” He waves fives fingers in the air. She smiles. “Five. Thank you. We should do something new every day; even if we just speak to someone new."

 

"Why?" He asks, amused. She shrugs.

 

"It's nice to meet new people."

 

Archie laughs. "Any more rules?" He asks.

 

“No.” She says. “But we should make a list.”

 

“Of what?”

 

“Things you want to do.” She ducks down and picks up her wallet from her bag. In it, she finds an old receipt that she starts scribbling on. She searches the dashboard for a pen, mumbles a triumphant ‘yes!’ when she finally finds a blue ballpoint pen he borrowed from his dad forever ago.

 

"Like what?"

 

She gives him an incredulous look. “I don’t know... I said things /you/ want to do.” She sighs. “Never mind, I’ll guess.”

 

"What are you writing?" Archie asks, trying to peer over her shoulder.

 

"Keep your eyes on the road" She shakes her head. She keeps writing until she doesn’t have any more ideas. Then she reads it out to him.

 

"Number 1, get hammered" She reads, giving him a mischievous grin. Archie smiles. "Two, crash a wedding...”

 

“Crash a wedding?” He repeats.

 

“I’ve always wanted to.” She tells him, scribbling something onto her paper. “Number three... Karaoke.”

 

“That is not something that I want to do.” He says, almost stopping the car in the middle of the freeway.

 

Veronica continues, ignoring his question completely. “Four, speed dating. Five, check out at least three colleges we can apply to." Archie shakes his head at her, still smiling.

 

"We'll add more things later." She says.

 

He snatches the receipt from her hand and tries to read her handwriting. It’s a mess. A mix between cursive and a clean all caps font. He can barely make out the numbers.

 

"Where to first, then?" He asks.

 

"What about Nashville?" She suggests.

 

"Nashville isn't really a small town.” Archie comments.

 

"Nashville is the only exception. We can’t not go there." She promises. “The only not small town.”

 

"Until Chicago," Archie says.

 

Veronica nods. "Until Chicago."

…

 

They stop for gas outside of Memphis. Veronica goes insane at the counter once again, she buys three bags of candy, a few packs of chewing gum, a cheap knock-off album and pays for the gas. Back in the car, she pops in the CD and picks a track.

 

"What isthat?"He asks.

 

"Nirvana." She says. "Also known as the soundtrack to our journey."

 

"No more radio?" He asks, sounding too relieved– although he ’s still doubtful.

 

"Nope." She assures him.

 

"We'll hate it by tomorrow." He warns her.

 

She shakes her head at him as if he just didn’t get it. "Never." She tells him. "Maybe, but then we'll love it again."

 

"You still have so much to learn." She sighs dramatically.

 

He nods. “I really do." She smiles and listens to the song. It’s one of her favorites. Archie knows because he’s heard humming it to herself at least once before.

 

She sings along, waving her hands and swinging her head, belting out each lyric with more passion than the last. As the song ends, her phone starts ringing. She pulls it out of her purse and picks up without looking at the caller ID.

 

"Betty’s upset" Archie hears Kevin say. Veronica sighs deeply.

 

"Okay." Archie steals a glance at her. He definitely shouldn’t eavesdrop on what they’re saying but it’s hard not to do after Veronica turns down the radio and it becomes the only thing he can hear. Besides, it’s also almost definitely about him.

 

"Okay?!" Kevin echoes, sounding angry. What the hell is this about anyway?

 

"What do you want me to do about it?" Veronica asks. Archie notices that she’s started picking at the burgundy paint on her nails.

 

"You’re running away... with Archie ."

 

"Yeah, we're joining the circus." She deadpans. He doesn’t think he’d call it running away as much as starting over. But then again, all his problems are in Riverdale and that’s the last place he wants to be. He wants to be as far away as possible. Maybe they are running away.

 

“It's a bad idea, Veronica.”

 

"Is it?" She says, her voice slightly lower than before.

 

"Can't you just come back?" Kevin asks exasperatedly.

 

"No." It takes him for a loop how quickly she answers.

 

"Why not?"

 

"Why should we?" Veronica asks. It’s the first time he lets himself think about what Veronica has to go back to. Sure, she’s made some friends over the years but none of them close enough to be there for her in the way she needed. No that was just himself, Betty, Kevin, and Cheryl- on a good day. And from the sound of this phone call, he’s not so sure Kevin or Betty fit the bill anymore.

 

It’s not just that. Her mom’s in Memphis, and her dad... Her dad has never deserved to be a part of life. She might need this as much as he does.

 

"Veronica, don't be difficult." She snorts.

 

“You sound like my mother.” She says, flips on the AC and runs a hand through her hair. "I'm not being difficult."

 

He doesn’t answer. But his breathing is so heavy Archie can hear it. “She'll never forgive you.” He finally says.

 

Veronica scoffs. "For what?"

 

"She'll never forgive you if you fall in love with him." Archie looks away right as she hangs up.

....

 

They don’t make it to Nashville. There's an accident on the freeway and as a result, the traffic is terrible. Instead, they take an exit and enter Kidsville, population: 2023 people.

 

The town has a small motel, probably built for exactly for these kinds of situations. In the lobby, Archie spots a bunch of people they’d seen on the road, all trading hours stuck in traffic in for a beer at the local bar. “I’ll go get us a room.” He tells Veronica, heading towards the reception desk.

 

“Good evening.” He says once he’s at the desk. The receptionist barely acknowledged him. “I need a room with 2 beds.”

 

The receptionist carefully eyes Archie. “Are you here with a parent or guardian?” Archie shakes his head. "You have to be 21 to stay here without a guardian" He snaps. Archie finds it ironic seeing as the man himself appears to be around the same age as them.

 

Archie sighs. He wants to shower, he feels sick and he can’t shake the lump that’s been in his throat since this morning. Since he overhead Veronica’s conversation with Kevin. He can’t stand the idea that he’d somehow come between Betty and Veronica. “I’m 21.” He says nonchalantly. “So’s my friend.”

 

The receptionist laughs. “Sorry, buddy.” He says. “Try again next time.”

 

“Look, we really need a place to stay for the night,” Archie tells him, hoping he can sympathize. “The next place is at least another half hour away, and there’s no way we can spend the night in my car.”

 

The receptionist– Tim, according to his name tag– drops the book he was flipping through and meets Archie’s eyes. “Sorry, man.But there’s nothing I can do for you if you don’t have a guardian present.” 

 

Archie sighs and retreats back to where Veronica is standing with their bags. “So?” She says. “Which one is it? Please tell me it’s as far away from this noise as possible.” She rolls her eyes, gestures towards the bar.

 

“He can’t get us a room.” He tells her, dropping his shoulders. “Since we’re under 18.”

 

“Oh.” She sighs. “Well did you try lying?”

 

“Didn’t work.”

 

“Did you give him some cash?” She says, waggling her eyebrows.

 

“What?” Archie shakes his head. “That only works in the movies, Ronnie.”

 

“Untrue.” She says. She drops her purse onto her suitcase and pulls out a lipstick. She applies it to her lips, turning them a deep shade of red, before ruffling up her hair. “You just need a little charm.” She says. She pulls a twenty dollar note out of her purse next, giving Archie a wink and traipsing off towards the desk.

 

He can’t make out what she’s saying from here but there’s definitely a lot of flirting going on. Ronnie’s talking and giggling– all with Tim’s completely undivided attention. She reaches over and presses a hand to his forearm and Archie feels even sicker.

 

He can’t tell if she gives him the money or not but she walks back a minute later with a knowing smirk and waves a key card in front of his face.

 

Archie follows her down hallways and up various stairs all the way to room 119 where she comes to a halt. She tries to unlock the door but her hands are trembling and the handle won’t budge. She presses into it harder and harder shaking it until it’s this close to breaking.

 

Archie takes the key from her. "Breathe.” He says calmingly. He unlocks the door and follows her into the small room.

 

“Sorry,” Veronica says, although he barely hears it. “It’s the only one they had available.” It has only one bed.

 

“It’s okay,” Archie repeats, slamming the door shut behind them. Veronica doesn’t say anything else after that, just heads for the bathroom and locks the door.

...

 

He hears the water turn on a few minutes later before she comes out with her hair wet. She’s wrapped up in a towel.

 

"What's wrong?" Archie asks. He’s lying on the bed, barely paying any attention to the live car chase on the screen. She sits down on the foot of the bed and keeps her eyes locked on the TV.

 

Archie’s not sure what he’s expecting to hear. She’s been upset ever since that phone call but he hasn’t asked her about it because the only reason he knew what was going on is that he’d been eavesdropping. Not that he didn’t have a million questions running through his head. Along with Kevin’s words playing on a loop in his mind making him question everything that’s happened since they left Riverdale.

 

She’ll never forgive you if you fall in love with him.

 

He doesn’t know what questions to ask about that. He doesn’t know what answers he wants.

 

"Nothing" He knows her well enough to be certain she’s lying.

 

"I know Kevin upset you."

 

“You heard him?” She asks, her head turning a full three-hundred and sixty degrees to face him.

 

“No, I just... You haven’t seemed like yourself ever since he called. I mean we only listened to Come As You Are twice.”

 

“Oh.” She says, sounding relieved. "It's not a big deal." She picks up her brush from her bag and starts to untangle her hair, brushing through each section slowly. Her brush gets caught on a knot and she can’t get it out.

 

“Here, let me help,” Archie says, seeing her struggle. He moves up behind her and carefully takes the brush out of her hair. She reaches for it but he begins to slowly comb through it himself. Archie feels her shoulders fall. "You can tell me," He says.

 

"Not this one, Archiekins." She whispers.

 

"Veronica, I'm not stupid. I realize that they‘re probably giving you a hard time because you're here... with me."

 

Veronica sighs. "It’s nothing I can’t handle.”

 

“You don’t have to do it alone.” His hand comes to rest on her shoulder. He gives her a reassuring smile. She smiles back half-heartedly, taking his hand in hers. "How about we get a beer?" Archie asks.

 

“Okay.” She agrees. Her voice is as soft as her fingers. He gives her hand a reassuring squeeze. Veronica closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, slowly. But she doesn’t get up. Neither does he.

 

"You're a good friend, Ronnie." He states. That’s one thing he knows will never change. "And I’ll talk to Betty." He continues.

 

She shakes her head instantly. “You don't need to do that.” She sighs. “You’re still getting over her. I’ll be fine, I promise.” He nods silently but they both know he’s still going to do it. He finally gets up and pulls her to her feet. "How 'bout that beer?"

....

 

The bar is called The Eagle and is located in the town square. The hotel's bar is already closed so it’s their only option. Tonight, it‘s packed with both locals and travelers. Archie orders himself a beer, and a glass of red wine for Veronica. He’s surprised that they don’t get carded as they pay and find a place to sit down at a cramped table in the corner.

 

"I have a question,” Archie says once they’re seated. “About the rules."

 

Veronica smiles."Go ahead."

 

"What if I do two things at the same time?" He asks.

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"I mean, what if I’m hammered when I sing karaoke?" He smiles mischievously.

 

Veronica laughs. “That’s not fair.” She protests. “You have to remember doing it.”

 

"Crap." He sighs dramatically. Veronica smiles at him. 20 minutes ago, she had been ready to kill someone, now, after getting dressed up– she’s wearing a black dress that is insanely short and is leaving so little to the imagination– and going out for a glass of wine, she seems to be doing much better. He hopes so, at least.

 

As if reading his mind, she says. “You cheered me up.” Archie watches her face and finds her smile reassuring. “Thank you.”

 

“You’re easy to cheer up.” Archie smiles.She scoffs, but Archie takes her hand as if to reaffirm what he’s said. “Really.”

 

"Thanks." She says, slowly taking a sip of her wine.

…

 

They’re on the road first thing the next morning. Once they are, it doesn’t take too long to get to Nashville. Veronica decides to check out Vanderbilt. It’s huge and hot. Very hot. Like 119 degrees. Archie feels like lying down on the ground and staying completely still for several hours.

 

"I can't live here" Veronica exhales, fanning herself with a brochure. "It's too hot."

 

"It's probably not like this all the time," Archie says. “ That lady on the news station said that almost all of Virginia has temperatures near this today as well."

 

She shrugs, too hot to speak. "Let's get out of here.” She says. Archie obliges, relieved to be able to sit in the car with the AC blowing on full blast.

 

They leave the dorms and walk out into the sunshine, where– surprise!–it's even hotter. They make their way down the deserted street in silence. At least citizens of Nashville knew to stay inside today.

 

"Let's get to the car and turn the AC up!" Archie exclaims.

 

Veronica nods and they start to walk a little faster. "Oooh, look!" Veronica suddenly says, coming to a halt. Archie follows her eyes to the house she’d stopped in front of. Veronica walks over to the yard, ignoring Archie’s questioning look, and picks up a hose from the driveway. The hose had been watering a scatter of bushes.

 

"What are you doing…"He begins, gesturing for her to put it back. But she points the hose at him and it starts shooting out cold water.

 

The water stings at first, coming into contact with his blazing hot skin. But after a few seconds, it feels incredible. It only takes a minute for him to get soaked and his t-shirt to get plastered to his chest. He wipes the water away from his eyes and runs forward.

 

Veronica is surprisingly stronger than him at first, holding the hose with some kind of death grip. But it’s still slippery and he gets it out of her hands without much trouble. She screams, trying to get away from him, but he’s got one hand around her waist, and the other holding the hose over her head.

 

Veronica’s wearings a short sundress that rides up her thighs, and eventually Archie has to let her go so that she can pull it down. She turns to him and gives a mischievous grin. Her hair is lying flat on her head, appearing to be an even darker shade of black, and curving around her face as if framing it. She looks beautiful. She looks happy.

 

"Excuse me" Archie pulls himself out of the trance he’s in to follow the sound. It’s coming from the driveway. An old man, maybe in his early sixties, is staring at them. They both freeze on the spot. "That's my hose.” He says.

 

Archie has no idea what to do, what to say. He wonders if it ’s too late to make a break for the car. “I’m so sorry.” He hears Veronica say, still running through all their possible escape strategies. “It’s just so hot.”

 

“I know.” The man says blankly. “That’s why I’m watering my daisies.”

 

“Oh,” Veronica says, her smile faltering for a second.

 

“Jack, who are you talking to?” A voice calls out from inside the house. It belongs to a woman about the same age as the man, Jack. She stands behind him with her hands on her hips waiting for an answer.

 

“Just some kids.” Jack sneers.

 

The woman looks the two of them up and down, wet clothes, nervous smiles et al. Archie feels his heart pounding in his chest. 

 

"I'm sorry,” Veronica says. "We were on our way to the car, but it's so hot. I just couldn't resist."

 

The woman returns Veronica's smile. “Don’t worry, dear.” She says, nodding. “I understand.”

 

"Sarah,” Jack says, but she shushes him and turns back to Archie and Veronica.

 

"Would you two like some lemonade?" Sarah asks.

 

Veronica’s smile widens. "I would love some!" Archie stares at her in disbelief. He can’t believe they’d been so close to being busted and instead they’d ended up with fresh homemade lemonade.

 

Just add it to the number of times Veronica Lodge has saved his life.

…

 

Sarah and Jack Stevenson are both retired lawyers in their late fifties. They speak with a Southern drawl so thick that Archie sometimes has a hard time understanding them. Sarah pours them lemonade and serves it to them on the porch, under the shade of a single willow tree that’s been here for over three decades according to Sarah. The air has cooled down and for that Archie is incredibly grateful. For the first time since they left Riverdale, the weather is beautiful outside. Archie leans back in his chair, and pulls off his soaked t-shirt, letting out a deep breath at the feeling of cool air hitting his skin. Veronica follows suit, pulling off her dress, showing off her tanned skin and purple bikini. Archie forces himself to look away.

 

"So, what are you kids doing in Nashville? You don't live here, do you?" Sarah asks, taking a seat next to Veronica.

 

"No," Veronica says hesitantly. She meets Archie's gaze. He shrugs.

 

"I’m looking for my dad.” She says. Archie frowns. What?!

 

"Your dad?"

 

"Yes. Well, I grew up with my mom in a small town just outside of Pennsylvania. He left when I was little and she doesn’t like to talk about him, but I want to get to know him better. Get some closure, you know?" Sarah nods slowly. “Anyway, my mom once let it slip that he lived in Nashville. And Archie was nice enough to come with me.”

 

"And Archie is your?.."

 

“My friend.” Veronica nods, cutting her off. “One of my best friends.”

 

"What's your dad's name?" Jack asks from the doorway.

 

Veronica turns to him. "Hiram.” She tells him. He tilts his head to the side, thinking it over.

 

"Have you tried to find an address?" He replies.

 

Veronica nods, looking solemn. "Thereare 26 in the state." Archie watches Veronica in complete admiration and confusion. She‘s an amazing actress. If he didn’t know any better, he would’ve believed every word she said.

 

"Archie, you're awfully quiet," Sarah says quietly. "Are you alright?"

 

Archie, unlike Veronica, was not a good liar. Not even remotely. "He's just in a bit of a bad mood. I think the heat is getting to him." Veronica explains, reaching over and holding his hand. "He’s still the only person crazy enough to put up with me for an entire cross-country road trip." Archie chooses to focus on Jack and Sarah, rather than anything else. He watches the way they hang on to Veronica’s every word— not that he’s ever really seen anyone do anything else when it comes to her.

 

"Poor thing." Sarah sighs, giving Archie a sympathetic smile. She turns to Veronica. “Do you have any more information about your father, we might be able to help you?”

 

“Nothing besides the stories my mom used to tell me when I was little.” She says, slowly. “He used to be away on business a lot and I always wanted him to... to be home, you know? To just... be there for me. And I thought, well, one day he will. He’ll stay.” She pauses, drawing in a breath. “Anyway, he never came back.”

 

“Why do you care so much about finding him, then?” Jack asks.

 

“Jack!” Sarah snaps, slapping his arm.

 

“No, no it’s okay.” Veronica smiles. “I guess I just need to know why he did that... why we weren’t enough for him. And then I’ll finally be able to move on with my life.”

 

Sarah gets up from her seat and pulls Veronica in for a hug. “Well, we’d love to help, sweetie.” Her voice is warm and comforting. "Where are you staying?" She asks.

 

Archie shrugs. “We haven’t really decided yet. I think I saw a B&B a few blocks back.”

 

"Oh no.” Sarah shakes her head. "You can stay with us. Upstairs. In the twin's room. I'll show you."

 

Veronica and Archie exchange a look, following her inside. Archie realizes Veronica is still holding his hand, admires the way it fits so perfectly with hers. She catches him staring at their interlaced fingers and whispers a quick “sorry” before following Sarah up the staircase.

 

He can’t understand why his hand suddenly feels cold in this weather.

…

 

The twin's room is a small one in the corner of the house, covered in lilac wallpaper, with two single beds, a small wardrobe and a few posters on the walls. Whoever the twins are, Archie’s sure they haven’t lived here for at least two decades.

 

"I’m impressed," Archie says honestly, once it’s finally just him and Veronica. “You’re a good liar.”

 

"Yeah, well, you don’t survive living in New York with the Lodges' without picking up a few tricks." She drops her bag onto the grey carpet.

 

He collapses onto the bed, eyes trained on Veronica and how she’s actively avoiding his gaze. “Was it all a lie?”

 

“What?” She ruffles through her bag, takes out a few blouses, refuses to meet his eyes still.

 

“The stuff you said about your dad.” He explains. “Call me crazy, but I don’t think even you are that good of a liar.”

 

“What do you mean ‘even me’?” She says incredulously, turning to face him with her arms folded in front of her chest.

 

“Don’t change the subject.”

 

Veronica rolls her eyes. She sighs, walks over to the bed and lies down beside him. Her shoulder is pressed into his and he can feel her skin against his. It’s warm. In a different way than it is outside. “I still thought he’d stick around for once. Right up until the end I wanted it all to be a lie. I wanted him to be good. I think...” She trails off, shutting her eyes. She leans over and rests her head on his shoulder. “I think a small part of me still believes he is.”

 

“I’m sorry, Ronnie.” Her eyes are wide, fixed on his.

 

“Me too.”

…

 

Jack and Sarah make dinner and serve it alongside a bottle of cheap red wine. Jack smiles and pours a glass for Veronica. “Jack!” Sarah shouts from across the table, eyes wide. She points to the glass. “They’re kids.”

 

“Let them be.”He waves her off, pouring a glass for Archie too. “They’ve had a long day.”

 

“That's alright,” Veronica says politely. “I won’t have any.”

 

“Me neither.” Sarah smiles at Archie.

 

He and Veronica already feel more at ease. For one, it’s not as hot anymore.

Second, they’d just watched the most beautiful sunset ever. Now the sky is turning black, the stars coming out. Kevin and Betty and everything they left behind in Riverdale are the farthest things from either of their minds.

 

“Vanderbilt is one of the greats,” Jack says. They’d been discussing colleges.

 

Veronica looks exhausted. She doesn’t say much. Instead, she closes her eyes and rests her head on Archie’s shoulder. He feels tipsy."We visited it this morning," Archie tells him.

 

"It was hot," Veronica says, voice muffled. He can feel her breathing through the cotton of his shirt. He ’s sure she hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep last night. It had been strange, for the both of them, to share a bed. Archie knows she hadn’t slept well because he’d been up all night himself.

 

It‘s not like he’s some chaste virgin or anything, but sleeping and sleeping together are two very different things. Especially when the person he’s sharing a bed with happens to be Veronica. He could feel the cool satin of her pajamas brush against his shoulder every time she so much as lifted a finger.

 

"You tired?" He whispers. She nods silently. "Let's get you to bed then." He suggests, getting up. Her head slides off his shoulder and it elicits a soft grunt from her.

 

“You poor thing,” Sarah says sympathetically. "This must have been an emotional day for you."

 

"Very." Veronica agrees. Archie takes her hand and leads her to their bedroom upstairs.

 

“You’re nice.” She whispers when he holds the door open for her.

 

“I know.” He smiles, amused. She’s struggling to pull the covers over herself, her eyes only half open. He laughs, walking over and helping her get it over her.

 

“Oooh.” She says drowsily. “And you smell nice.”

 

“Are you sure you’re not drunk?”

 

“Yup.” She says, popping the ‘p’, sinks her head into the pillow. “Goodnight, Archiekins.”

 

“Goodnight.” Leaning in, he presses a soft kiss to her forehead. 

 

* * *

 

 

_**ii. (today)** _

 

"It's beautiful," Veronica says, mesmerized. A cool breeze blows by them, making her shiver. They’re perched atop a hill overlooking all of Los Angeles, just a few meters away from the infamous Hollywood sign. Alex had just spent the night giving her what he called ‘the quintessential tour of Los Angeles’ and this was- hopefully- their final stop. “Are you sure we were allowed up there?” She asks, hugging the coat he’d wrapped around her.

 

“My friend, Ryan, is working security right now.” He says, holding open a large gap in the fence for her to go through. “So, we've still got ten minutes before we might get busted.”

 

“Look at you, Mister L.A.” Veronica laughs, walking a little unsteadily beside Alex through the dirt. Her Louboutins were not made for this. “This is the last stop, right?”

 

“It’s Mister Campbell.” He corrects as he throws an arm around Veronica’s shoulders to steady her out.

 

“My bad.” She says, raising her hands defensively.

 

"And no, actually; there was one more thing I wanted to show you.”

 

“Damn, I thought it was finally over.” Veronica huffs in mock frustration. 

 

“Trust me, this night has been torturous for me too.” He says, struggling to keep a straight face as he says it. “But it wouldn’t be a real tour without it.”

 

Veronica smiles. “What is it?”

 

Alex pretends to zip his lips shut, making Veronica laugh. “Besides,” He says. “It won't be happening for..." He checks the watch around his wrist, "Another hour and a half. So, we’ll have to find something to do until then." He smirks suggestively.

 

Veronica blushes under his intense gaze. The alcohol she's consumed has made her brave, more so than usual, and she feels like she’s floating. Alex is great. He’s funny and interesting and she’s just buzzed enough to know that she wants this. "We could go back to my hotel." She suggests, biting her bottom lip.

 

"Yeah?" Alex’s eyebrows shoot up as he fakes surprise. He’s scanning the road for a cab. "Yeah, I guess we could.” He spots one going in the opposite direction and waves it over nonetheless.

 

“We could probably watch a movie or something.” She smiles coyly.

 

“We could.” He says suggestively, inching closer to her.“Or...” He brushes his lips against her neck, peppering kisses along her skin.

 

"I guess we could find something else to do," She agrees with a slow grin. The car pulls up beside them. Alex gestures for her to climb in before he does, shutting the door behind them while Veronica directs the cab driver to her hotel.As soon as the car is moving, he encloses Veronica in his arms and captures her lips with his.

 

Veronica is almost completely absorbed in Alex’s kiss. She notices things that she hadn’t registered before. First, Alex’s clean, slightly athletic cologne is refreshing and not as intoxicating as she would’ve expected it to be. Two, she’s never actually made out with anyone in the back of a cab (that one is probably the most surprising to her). And lastly, Alex is clearly much more dominant and controlling than Archie ever was.

 

Veronica starts to second guess herself at the thought of Archie. Maybe she's not ready to be doing this so soon after being broken up with, whether or not it meant something to Archie. Maybe this is just another stupid decision that’s going to end up hurting her more than anyone else. Maybe...

 

No.

 

The moment of doubts ends as fast as it came. She kisses Alex with new resolve, sucking his bottom lip into her mouth and nibbling it playfully. He groans and squeezes her hips, his fingers running down to the bottom of her little black dress, dancing across the skin of her thighs. The cab slows, and they are interrupted by the cab driver clearing his throat. Veronica peers out of the window. “This is it.” She says, wiping lipstick off the skin above her lip. Alex pays the driver, snakes his arm around Veronica and leads her inside.

 

It’s not until the elevator doors shut and Alex is adjusting his tie that Veronica realizes this is really happening, and Archie's face flashes in her mind yet again as she compares him to her date, but the pain that accompanies thoughts of Archie lately follows immediately and forces her to shut them all out. She doesn't want to think about Archie. Hell, she drove all the way to Los Angeles! She is going to sleep with Alex, and not just to keep Archie from her mind - okay, mostly because of that - but because in her entire four years of high school she hasn’t let herself really lose control like this. Call it shallow or what you will but she's doing it and nothing, not even Archie himself, is going to stop her.

 

Or maybe she’ll just start screwing with every guy that she meets’ heart in a pathetic attempt to get back at Archie. Veronica shut her eyes. Nope. One broken heart in this mess is plenty.

 

Alex is standing at the door of Veronica's hotel room. He must notice that she’s distracted because he stops her as she’s about to turn the handle. He meets her eyes carefully as he asks, "Are you sure about this?"

 

Veronica hesitates. His words bring another unwanted memory to the forefront of her mind. Somewhere closer to home when she’d asked Archie the exact same question and she’d ultimately given him her heart. "Definitely."


	4. part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She pulls up outside a building with a neon sign that reads 'Bar and Grill' a few minutes later. Staring at him excitedly as she says, “Ta-da!” She smiles at him. “It’s Karaoke night.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Wow, you guys really outdid yourselves with the outpouring of support for this last chapter!!! I was completely surprised by how much love it got. Thank you soooo much for sticking around and taking the time to let me know what you think of it. After reading all the AMAZING comments on the last chapter I knew I had to finish this chapter as soon as I possibly could. I hope it lives up to your expectations.
> 
> *If you’d like to chat with me about this fic or varchie or just.. anything in general, you can find me on tumblr @veronicasloddge !! 
> 
> As usual, I'd love to hear what you guys think of this chapter!
> 
> Enjoy :)

**_i. roughly 3 months ago_ **

   
Spanish Fort, Alabama is their next stop. It has a population of 8,300 and it’s just as hot as Nashville. Jack and Sarah wave them goodbye as they pull out of the driveway and onto the street, they stand outside on the front porch, waving their hands slowly, until Archie and Veronica disappear around the corner. Archie‘s got a feeling that they’ll miss having Veronica around, they really seemed to enjoy her theatrics. They mentioned that they had a friend in the admissions office of Vanderbilt, and offered to put in a good word for Veronica, even offered her a place to stay if she decided to take it. They couldn't help it.

 

"You going to pick that up anytime soon?" Veronica asks. Archie stares at his phone. It’s been sounding all day. Jughead keeps calling and Archie keeps ignoring him. He knows that if he picks up he‘ll say something that he'll regret. He’s not ready to talk to him just yet.

 

"No," Archie states, surfing through the tracks on his phone. He can’t believe he‘s not sick of Nirvana yet. Come As You Are starts playing for the umpteenth time. He makes the volume a little softer, finally sinking into the bed. “What are we doing today?"

 

“It’s 11 PM.” She laughs. “We can do whatever you want.” She keeps fidgeting with her phone too. Maybe she thinks Betty is going to call her. Archie shuts his eyes. No, he‘s not going to think about her at all.

 

"Are you tired?" He asks. She shakes her head.

 

"I was asleep almost the entire journey.” She turns off his music. She smiles and her eyes light up. Archie recognises the look, and he's known her long enough to know it can’t be good. ”I have an idea!" She exclaims.

 

She jumps off the bed, grabs her coat and heads for the door. “You can’t leave mid-sentence!” He protests, making her come to a halt in the doorway.

 

“Put your coat on,” she advises. “I need to check something but I’ll text you where to meet me.” She doesn’t wait for him to agree.

 

Archie gets up and rummages through his bag for his coat. It’s a mess. He was looking for a clean T-shirt ten minutes ago and ended up haphazardly shifting everything out of place. His phone buzzes just as he finds his coat. He pulls it out and then reads the text from Veronica.

 

_I'm waiting downstairs. Hurry._

 

When he gets downstairs, she’s waiting on a couch in the reception area. Her face lights up when she sees him and she jumps out of her seat. She links her arm in his as they walk out onto the road. “Alright, I’ll bite.” He says, when she takes his hand, leading him across the street. “What are we doing?” Since the minute he received her text he’d been curious.

 

She grins. "You'll see." She gets into the driver’s seat of the car and waits for him to get in before she pulls out of the small parking space. They spend the entire ride listening to the radio in silence, Veronica rhythmically tapping on the steering wheel with her fingers. Archie can’t help but wonder what‘s making her so nervous all of a sudden.

 

She pulls up outside a building with a neon sign that reads ' _Bar and Grill'_ a few minutes later. Staring at him excitedly as she says “Ta-da!” She smiles at him. “It’s Karaoke night.”

 

“You’re insane.” He scoffs.

 

“Oh come on.” She says, clutching his arm. “It’ll be fun!”

 

“Ronnie-"

 

“You do remember what fun is don’t you?” She laughs, pushing her door open, not waiting for a response. He follows, making his way out of the car.

 

"Veronica" He groans. "I hate karaoke! It’s embarrassing.”

 

“It’s really not so different from performing.” She smiles. “You’re good at this stuff.” She assures him.

 

“What if I just watch you sing instead?" She punches his shoulder. “Fine.” He sighs. “But drinks are on you. And I’m having at least 2 before we start.” She nods, grinning.

 

"C'mon." The place is crowded and buzzing. It’s small and stuffy and full of drunk strangers singing country songs. Veronica’s beaming face only makes it slightly less terrible. He follows her away from the loud center of the restaurant to a semi-secluded table in the back of the room. “You sit.” She suggests, pulling off her coat and dropping it onto her seat. “I’ll get you those drinks.”

 

Archie watches her walk over to the bar and speak to the bartender, smiling. Archie worries he might ask to see her ID, but in a minute she’s back with a tray of drinks in her hand. “That’s.. a lot.” He observes.

 

“Yeah, well I wasn’t sure what strength we were going for, so I just got a little of everything.” She slides the tray over to him and he picks up a glass of what looks like tequila. He swallows the entire glass in one sip. It leaves his throat stinging and his head buzzing.

 

Waiting for the alcohol to kick in, they sit there for nearly twenty minutes watching people get up on stage and try to sing. Archie’s not nervous about the singing part, he knows he can do that. He’s good at it. It’s just the getting up in front of all these people part that’s making him feel like he’s going to be sick. He’s only done it a few times before. And that was for town events, where he basically knew the entire audience. This, on the other hand, is a room full of strangers that will have no problem vocalizing their possible dislike of him.

 

He glances at Veronica. She’s fixated on the couple performing on the stage. She‘s biting her lip and playing with the fries in front of her. He nudges her foot with his. “You nervous, Ronnie?” He asks. Not that she has any reason to be. He’s heard Veronica sing before and she’s... mesmerizing.

 

“No, no. No. ” She says, shaking her head. She bites her bottom lip, turning to face him. “Okay, maybe just a little.”

 

“We don’t have to do it.” He reminds her.

 

“Yes, we do!” She says, voice rising slightly. She sighs. “I just need one more drink.” She smiles at him, letting out a deep breath. "I know what song I'm singing, Do you?" He shakes his head.

 

Just as he does, his phone vibrates in his pocket again. He pulls it out. It‘s Betty. Again. He stares at the display silently. This is the third time she’s tried calling him today. Jughead has tried just as many times. Maybe they‘ve broken up. Maybe Betty wants him back. Maybe things can actually go back to the way they were. Maybe...

 

  
"Who is it?" Veronica asks. He meets her gaze. It‘s warm and open and she’s still beaming.

 

"No one." He says, shoving his phone back into his pocket. He‘s going to need more than three drinks tonight. He can feel it. He’s going to need a whole lot of things. Mostly he just needs to get over Betty.

 

Now.  
…

 

When it’s finally their turn he can feel his heart racing. “Veronica.” He says. “I can’t do this.” She presses a kiss to his cheek and gives his hand a reassuring squeeze.

 

“I’m right here.” She says smiling. It takes him back to his first showcase when she’d somehow managed to calm all of his nerves in one breath.

 

_Focus on someone who makes you feel safe._

 

She lets Archie sing first. Instead of overthinking it, he picks the first song he recognizes in the archive. It’s Don’t Stop Believin' by Journey. He feels insanely uncomfortable for someone who wants to pursue music as a career. He sings it nonetheless. And Veronica’s reassuring smile never falters, not even for a second. She swings her head to the beat and elbows the guy next to her, probably the same age as them when he boos Archie.

 

She stands out of her chair when he hits the last verse and a minute later when he’s off the stage she’s already wrapping her arms around him, whispering God knows what into his ear. She pats his chest, pulling away. “I’m proud of you, Andrews.” She exclaims. They sit down on the chairs in front of them. “You did great..”

 

"I’m never doing _that_ again.” He breathes against her hair.

 

"It was great." She repeats.

 

“It was a train wreck.”

 

“I don’t think the girl in the back thinks that,” Veronica says with a smirk, taking a sip of her drink. Archie follows her eyes to the back of the room. A tall girl with dark brown hair in an especially small dress is watching him intently.

 

“Oh.” He groans. Veronica smiles. (Is that relief he’s seeing?) Archie shakes off the thought.

 

“What?” She giggles. “You’re a single man now.” Archie recoils. “Sorry.” She says quickly.

 

He shrugs. "It’s okay. I've just never thought of it like that."

 

“I just meant you should be out there, having fun. Not sitting here moping around because you’re hung up on you know who.”

 

"Maybe."

 

She smiles at someone behind him and he follows her eyes to a guy on stage, waving her over. "My turn!" She finishes what’s left of her drink.

 

"Alright." He smiles. “Good luck.”  
…

 

"This is one of my favorite songs ever,” Veronica says happily. Someone in the front row cheers. “It's called and Wonderwall and it's from one of the best albums ever made."

 

"Okay,” She exhales. "Here we go." She carefully slows down her breathing and begins to sing.

 

_Today is gonna be the day_  
_That they're gonna throw it back to you_  
_By now you should've somehow_  
_Realized what you gotta do_

 

Archie’s head is tilted to one side, watching her. He was right before; she  _is_ mesmerizing. Everyone in the room has their eyes fixated on her; captivated.

 

_I don't believe that anybody_  
_Feels the way I do, about you now_

 

The tempo changes and Veronica has a knowing smile on her face.

 

_And all the roads we have to walk are winding_  
_And all the lights that lead us there are blinding_

 

The crowd had begun to sway with the beat, grasp every word she says like it’s a breath of air and they’re drowning. Her eyes find Archie’s and she smiles at him.

 

_Because maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me_

 

Archie smiles back. He can’t believe he’s here, the middle of nowhere, with her. She’s his best friend. The only person who could stand to be around him in his current brooding stage. The only person that could calm him down and make him laugh no matter the circumstances.

 

_And after all, you're my Wonderwall_  
…

 

She’s smiling wider than he’s ever seen her smile before when she runs off the stage. He wraps her arms around her waist, pulls her in for a hug. “How was it?” She asks. He can feel her shallow breaths on the back of his neck.

 

"That was beautiful, Ronnie." He says.

 

"Thanks." She‘s blushing and her eyes won’t meet his for a minute.

 

"It’s a good song." He confesses.

 

"Yeah." She says, smiling. “Well, you’d know if you would stop skipping the track.”

 

He sighs. “Maybe I’ll try listening to your complete playlist tomorrow.”

 

“Wow,” She says, fanning herself. “I feel so special.” Archie laughs, putting his arms around her again and squeezing her closer to him. Her hair smells like hotel soap. "Guess we can check this off our list now." She says a moment later, pulling back.

 

"Thank God." She punches his shoulder, taking a swig from his bottle of beer.

 

"Let's get some sleep now.” She says.  
…

 

He wakes up the next morning to the sound of Veronica’s phone ringing. It feels like someone is banging on the inside of his head. Veronica stirs awake, making a move to answer. He wonders if it’s Betty, or Kevin again. “Mom, hey.” Apparently not. She sighs into the phone, both eyes still closed.

 

“Yeah, kind of.” Veronica mumbles into the phone. Hermione says something and Veronica’s eyes go wide. She holds up her watch in front of Archie’s face.

 

Shit. It’s 2:00 PM. The light coming through the curtains is bright and it hurts his eyes.

 

He can’t hear anything Hermione is saying. Veronica‘s answering every question with yes or no. “What?!” She says, just as he’s considering getting out of bed. She stumbles out of her tiny bed and heads towards the bathroom. She shuts the door and locks it behind her.  
…

 

"You hungry?" Archie asks.

 

"No."

 

"I'm pretty sure they’re not offering breakfast right now, but there’s a small cafe across the street." He says, offers her smile. She’s rummaging through her bag and won’t turn around to face him. “I think they have waffles.” He winks.

 

She doesn’t see it. "No thanks." She walks over to the bed and lies down with her head buried in her pillow. He doesn’t know what to say. He does, however, know that this is because of that phone call with her mom. He also knows it was probably something to do with him or Betty or both of them.

 

"So,” He starts, sitting down at the foot of the bed. It makes the bed shake slightly. “What happened?”

  
She shakes her head. “Nothing.”

 

"Can I maybe get more than two syllables?" He asks. She peers up at him.

 

"I'm fine. Really.” She says, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. “You get something to eat, or else we’ll be late."

 

“Veronica.” She ignores him, keeping her head buried in the pillow. He wishes he knew what to say. Wishes he hadn’t just put her in the middle of all the crap going on his life right now. Because all it’s managed to do is hurt her over and over again.

 

"Ronnie,” He whispers. He’s not sure when he moved but he’s closer now, laying a hand on her hip. He can feel her quiver at the contact.

 

"What?" She snaps. He doesn’t really blame her.

 

"You can tell me, whatever it is." He unconsciously begins to untangle her hair, just like the other day. It seems to have some strange calming effect on the both of them. And it works too; he feels her relax and her breathing eventually start to even out. "You sang me that awesome song last night." He reminds her.

 

"Whatever.” She murmurs. He waits for her to say something else, anything else. When she doesn’t he lies down next to her, his hand gently massaging her back.

 

“I know your mom called.” He whispers. She turns to face him for a brief second, stares at him expectantly. He doesn’t know what she wants him to say, wishes he did because that would make this so much easier.

 

"Oh."

 

“Is it because of that?” She nods. “What did she say?”

 

"None of your freakin' business." She groans.

 

He laughs before taking in a deep breath. "It was about Betty, right?”

 

Veronica finally turns around so that she’s lying on her back. His arms automatically retract from her skin. She’s so close to him she has to tilt her head to meet his eyes. "She told me that Betty had called her to tell her how treacherous I’m being." She shakes her head in disbelief, rubbing at her eyes again. Archie catches her hand in his, rubbing the back of her palm slowly. He wonders if he looks as worried as he feels.

 

"Why would she do that?" He asks.

 

"Why did my mom listen?”

 

“Did she say anything else?” Archie asks.

 

“She wanted to make sure I... that I knew what I was doing.” She says. Archie strokes her cheek, brushing a misplaced hair behind her ear. Her skin is warmer than he’d expected.

 

"I'm sorry." He says softly. “I’m sorry for all of it. I’m sorry that they’re blaming you. I don’t understand why she’s doing that.”

 

Veronica meets his eyes and she manages a small smile. "She's jealous" She whispers.

 

"I don't think she is." He almost bursts out laughing at the notion.

 

"I think you’re wrong." He can feel her trying to read his face. “She definitely is.” He can’t decide if this is something he’s happy about.

 

“You want to know what I think?” He whispers. She rests her head against his chest. “I think the rest of the world should just leave us alone. Even just for one night.”

 

She smiles up at him. "Yeah, me too."  
…

   
"Tell me about it." She says softly. They’re just outside of Alabama now, lying on the grass next to an isolated lake. It’s almost sunset and the air is finally cooling down. Her eyes are closed when Archie turns to look at her.

 

"About what?"

 

"Betty." She says.

 

Archie laughs nervously. "I thought the rule was we’re _not_ allowed to talk about our exes." He jokes. 

  
She shifts closer towards him, nudges him with her shoulder. A few strands of hair cover her eyes. "You need to talk about her." Maybe she‘s right, maybe she isn’t- except she’s most definitely right. He knows it.

 

Archie closes his eyes, basking in the feeling of the warm sun on his skin, in the silence. Moments like this one are enough to make him forget all about Betty. Enough to forget everything she put him through. Enough to forget he ever hurt at all. "I can’t." He sighs. “I wouldn’t know where to start.”

 

She’s so close her voice is crystal clear, filling his head. “Had you ever been in love before her?” She asks.

 

"I’m pretty sure we’ve had this conversation already." He laughs, remembers the two of them shuffling around in a dark closet. Back before they were actually friends. Before Betty. Before anything.

 

“Right.” She nods. “Grundy?”

 

“I don’t know.” He says.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“At the time,” He begins. “I was so caught up in the feeling of being with her, and I was so sure of my feelings for her... I was certain that I loved her.”

 

“And now?” She opens her eyes to meet his.

 

“Now, I can’t imagine ever feeling for her... for anyone what I’ve felt for Betty.”

 

“Did it hurt when you broke up?” Veronica’s voice is softer than usual. She holds his gaze for a moment, and his skin prickles with a familiar awareness.

 

"It…" He hesitates. “Yeah.”

 

“How bad?”

 

“Not as bad as this.” She caresses his forehead with her hand. Archie feels himself relax at the touch. He tries to focus on it. On Veronica comforting him, rather than the pain.

 

"I loved her.” He admits. “I did. But it was always a struggle. There was all the secrecy and I never knew where we were or what we were.” He shrugs. “It all just drove me a little crazy.”

 

"I get it."

 

"Betty..." He begins slowly. "Betty is kind and compassionate and wonderful. She’s the girl I proposed to in the second grade.” He hesitates. “But…"

 

"But what?"

 

"Nothing." He mumbles. “Everything.” Veronica scoffs and it makes Archie smile.

 

He takes a moment to take her in. She’s wearing ripped jeans and a t-shirt. She’s got some blue energy drink spilled all over her shirt and her jeans are covered in grass stains. He thinks it’s the first time he’s ever seen her without any makeup on. She looks beautiful. She looks real in a way Archie has never seen before. He likes this version of Veronica. The one that got up on stage and dedicated songs to him. The one that’s only trying to protect him, that strokes his face with her fingers and whispers that everything is going to be okay.

 

“And you?” She opens her eyes again to look at him.

 

“Have I been in love?”

 

"Yeah." He suddenly feels anxious.

 

She nods. "Maybe. I’d like to think so." Archie nods slowly. He remembers hearing about Veronica and Nick and all that they were back in New York. For some reason, it annoys him that she had this entire life before him that he never got to be a part of. Which is completely absurd, by the way, because he had a life before Veronica too. Not that he can really remember much of it anyway.

 

“Well, that was remarkably depressing.” She says, sitting upright.

 

“No kidding.” Archie snorts quickly running a hand through his hair.

 

“Not to fear.” Archie stands up and then offers her a hand. She takes it and he pulls her to her feet. “Because I have a solution!” She smiles. "Let’s get hammered!”  
…..

 

They stumble upon a motel and a rundown bar a few miles later. One with a total of ten people in it and a jukebox that only plays Michael Jackson.

 

“You sure about this?” Archie says cautiously, while they’re getting out of the car. “I’m pretty my sure my hangover from last night still hasn’t worn off.”

 

Veronica laughs. “You don’t have a choice.” She pulls a crumpled piece of paper out of her pocket and holds it in front of his face. “It’s on the list.”

 

Archie scoffs but still he makes his way over to the bar and orders some tequila. Again, they don’t get carded but the bartender does look them over skeptically before Archie pays.

 

It doesn’t take long for Archie to realize that for some reason it’s a lot easier to get Veronica drunk than himself.

 

In a matter of minutes, she’s standing on the table, doing the moonwalk. She stops to take a sip from her almost empty glass of vodka and then continues. This can’t be a good idea. Archie’s sure that this is going to hurt in the morning. At this rate, it’d be months before they even got close to Chicago.

 

She climbs off the chair, walks over to Archie. "You need to drink more." She says slowly, tugging on Archie's shirt, pulling him closer slowly.

 

"I‘m trying." He says. "But you keep stealing my drinks."

 

"Oh." She frowns, letting go of his shirt to sit down. There may be a small part of him that’s relieved she’s drunk. It means that she’s happy and weightless and not thinking about her mom or Betty or anything else that might be bothering her.

 

"It’s you!" Someone behind them exclaims and they both turn around. A guy, maybe in his mid-twenties, is behind her. He might be considered somewhat attractive. If you’re into plaid shirts and jeans that are much tighter than they could ever need to be. “I heard you singing in Spanish Fort last night.” He hesitates. “That _was_ you, right?”

 

"Yep.” She says, nodding her head vigorously.

 

"Not tonight?" He asks, sounding slightly disappointed.

 

"Nope." She says with a mischievous smile.

 

"Why?"

 

"Tonight, we’re getting drunk." She tries to sound serious, but she almost loses her balance and her words are coming out much slower than normal.

 

"We?" The guy asks.

 

"Me and Archie." She says, wrapping her arm around Archie’s shoulder And leaning into him.

 

"He your boyfriend?"

 

"Nope." Archie looks at her. She beams up at him but he can only vaguely smile back. Is it just him or did she look extra stunning tonight? She’s got on a leather jacket that he’s never seen her in before and she looks wonderful.

 

"And how‘s that going?" The guy asks, pulling Archie out of his train of thought.

 

"What?" She asks, confused. She leans even closer into Archie and he can smell the leather now.

 

"Getting wasted.” The guy clarifies, but Veronica’s no longer paying attention to him. She moves her head up to face Archie and takes in a deep breath. She smiles. "You still here?" The guy asks.

 

"Why don't you speak in fully-formed sentences?" She asks, rolling her eyes.

 

"Huh?"

 

"Never mind." He looks confused. She moves forwards and pats his cheek. "Do you want to sleep with me?" She asks bluntly. Archie’s eyes go wide.

 

Whatever-his-name-is looks taken aback, but then he smiles. "You want me to?" He asks with a smirk.

 

"God, no!” She says, throws her head back laughing for a second. He blushes angrily. Veronica smiles boldly and turns to Archie. He’s working on finishing a glass of whiskey. “This guy...” She turns back to face him expectantly.

 

“Ryan.” The guy says, Veronica squeezes her eyes shut.

 

“Ryan,” She continues, meeting Archie’s eyes. “Wants to sleep with me.” She tells him.

 

He nods. "Yeah, I can tell."

 

"Do you think I should?"

 

“Do you want to?” She turns to Ryan again. He doesn’t say anything, just stands there silently while she examines him.

 

“He’s kind of cute.” She says. She giggles. "Maybe." It comes out as a question rather than anything else. Archie has no idea how to respond to that. Instead, he just shrugs and orders himself another whiskey. The stronger the better. Veronica walks over to Ryan and kisses him slowly. In reality, it probably only lasts a few seconds but from where Archie’s sitting it feels like ages before it’s finally over. She pulls back and wrinkles her nose, examining him one last time. “I need another drink first.” She decides.

…

 

Archie‘s never really understood the appeal of meeting people in bars. Sure, he'd had one night stands– _a_ one night stand – but he’d never really enjoyed it as much as he’d expected to. Veronica, on the other hand, seems to honestly be considering sleeping with this drunken idiot.

 

He can’t tell if it’s a game she’s playing or if she’s just very very drunk. She‘s sitting right beside him, still flirting with the same guy from before. She keeps asking for Archie’s opinion on whether or not he’s hot enough. She seems pretty interested in him.

 

"I‘m not sure." Veronica finally says, leaning back and resting her head on Archie’s shoulder. Ryan rolls his eyes. They’ve been sitting here for almost an hour the three of them, waiting for her to make her final decision.

 

"I'm not into anything weird." Ryan pipes up. "If that’s what you’re worried about."

 

Veronica tilts her head to one side and looks at him. "Not that worried.” She tells him.

 

"No?"

 

She shakes her head, sits upright and then leans in closer, pressing her lips against his ear. “I’m into some pretty weird stuff.” Archie almost spits his drink out, but Veronica starts laughing before he can even react.

 

"Good one." Ryan smiles nervously.

 

Archie exhales, feeling a little light-headed. Maybe he’s had a few too many drinks. “Ronnie, can I talk to you for a second?” He whispers. She takes his hand and unsteadily leads him away from their table to a secluded corner of the bar. “I’m going to head over to the motel next door.” He says. “Are you going home with him, or with me?”

 

He only realizes how it sounds after he’s said is. He tries to figure a way around it, another way to phrase it, but his brain feels like Jell-O and he can’t form a single coherent thought right now.

 

Veronica giggles and runs a hand through his hair. “Always you, Archiekins.”

 

He walks over to the table and grabs his jacket. Ryan looks at him pointedly but Archie ignores him, taking Veronica’s hand and leading her out of the bar.  
...

 

As soon as they’re outside, Veronica starts laughing. She links her arm in his. “I’m happy.” The air is cooler than earlier. Archie’s breathing deeply. His hands are suddenly ice cold and it helps him sober up a little.

 

“That was a disaster.” She nods seriously. “I think I’ve forgotten how to flirt.” She says, voice soft. Archie’s about to interject when she starts shaking her head. “No, actually. He was... Did you see his jeans?!”

 

Archie cant why but he explodes with laughter. He’s so drunk that nothing has ever seemed as funny as that. Ever. He laughs until his insides hurt and he has to stop walking to catch his breath. Veronica stops in front of him, staring at him like he’s gone mad.

 

"Oh, God.” He shuts his eyes, inhaling slowly.

 

Veronica folds her arms in front of her chest. "He didn't smell nice, either."

 

Archie has to interrupt. “Spare me the details.” He says.

 

"Not like you, anyway." She whispers. Archie opens his eyes, watches her carefully adjusting his collar. He’s not sure why he does it, absolutely sure he’s going to regret this in the morning when his brain is working again but right now he can’t think of anything else that would make as much as sense.

 

He bends down and kisses her. Only for a second, his lips brushing against hers. A spark. She pulls back almost instantly, scanning his face for something. “Sorry, I” He whispers, unsure of what he’s trying to say. Veronica bites her lip still searching his face. She pulls him back in, hands wrapping around his neck, fingers in his hair. Archie feels like there’s electricity coursing through his veins.

 

"Maybe we should get to bed" Veronica breathes against his cheek. Archie nods silently.

 

* * *

 

 

 

_**ii. today** _

 

Veronica is startled awake by the sound of the phone beside her blaring on the nightstand. She sits upright, the sheet slipping off her and exposing her skin to the cool air in the process. Her head is still pounding. It takes her a few beats to remember where she is, how she got here. A hotel in L.A., tired from a wild night of drinking, sight-seeing and insanely hot sex with a super hot stranger. She also realizes that he’s not here anymore and he’s left no traces of himself whatsoever in his wake.

 

She’s pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of the phone obnoxiously ringing again. She finally reaches over and answers it. "Hello?" Veronica greets, catching a glimpse of the alarm clock beside the phone. Holy shit. It’s already five in the evening.

 

Apparently sleeping with Alex has proved to be not only mind-blowing and life-changing, but completely energy-draining as well.

 

"Veronica, where are you?"

 

“Mom?” _This_  she was not expecting.

 

"Are you trying to kill me?” Hermione says, voice raised and more disapproving than Veronica remembers it ever being. “Your tía and I drove all the way up from Memphis only to find out from Cheryl that you haven’t been in town all week.” She sighs.

 

“I told you I was fine with you missing graduation,” Veronica whispers.

 

“You’re my only daughter, Veronica. I wouldn't miss it for the world.”

 

"I'm sorry.” She says sincerely. “I forgot to call you and tell you that I was leaving early. I should have called. I was planning on it. But it kept slipping my mind, and there’s the whole time difference thing... I’m sorry, Mom. I really am.”

 

Hermione sighs into the phone. "Cheryl told me what happened, mija. I can’t condone the way you left, but I do understand. You and Archie–" She admits. Veronica has to interrupt because she's not entirely sure she’s going to like what her mother has to say about her mess of a relationship with Archie. "I can't believe she told you!” Veronica whines. Somehow every argument with her mom always forces her to resort to acting like the spoiled, bratty teenager she used to be.

 

Veronica had never meant to tell anyone that she was skipping town. She’d only told Jughead because he could relate to her pain, and she needed someone to help her. To make sure she went through with it. He was also one of the only people who knew everything that had happened between her and Archie. The other was Cheryl. Cheryl had caught Veronica crying in the bathroom at school the first day Archie and Betty were together after they got back. She’d comforted her and Veronica had spilled everything to her. It felt good, too. Because as kind as Jughead was being to her, she needed someone whose shoulder she could cry on. Someone who would watch pathetic romantic comedies with her and understand her need to just... fall apart, sometimes.

 

And Cheryl was that someone for her.

 

"We don't have to talk about it." After a brief moment of silence, Hermione asks, "Are you somewhere safe? If you need money or anything else you better tell me. I will not have you living on the streets, okay? Do you need something? When are you coming home?”

 

"I don't know when I'm coming home.” Veronica sighs. She’s never heard her mother like this; frantic. Worried. “I'm fine. Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself."

 

"I know you can," Hermione assures her. "But I’m also your mother. I'm always going to worry about you. I just want what’s best for you.“ She hesitates. “I want you to be happy.”

 

“Then this is where I need to be,” Veronica tells her. “I can’t be happy in Riverdale. That’s why I left, I want to be happy. I need to try. I can’t come home until I am.”

 

Hermione tells Veronica she's okay with that, as long as she keeps her up-to-date in where she is. "You deserve all the happiness, Veronica.” She says genuinely. “And when you decide to come home, wherever that is for you, I’ll be waiting. I love you.”

 

"Love you too," Veronica hangs up after promising to call her in a few days, no matter where she is. She sighs loudly and flops back onto her pillow, staring up at the ceiling. She can't believe she almost forgot that graduation is today. It’s probably over by now. Her friends are probably all out celebrating with their families, with each other. And here she is alone in a hotel in an entirely different time zone. She can’t believe it’s over. High school, all of it. Now she really has no reason to go back to Riverdale.

 

Her and Archie had this crazy idea once that they would go to New York together after high school, rent a little apartment near campus and live together until after college. That was last year when he was just one of her best friends and any other feelings she might’ve had were secured and locked away.

 

She wonders if he’s still planning on going to New York. He’d gotten accepted at NYU, UF and The University of Michigan. She didn’t stick around long enough to find out which one he chose. She, on the other hand, is not going to be looking at colleges any time soon. Not right now. Right now, she's broken, she needs some time to pick up the pieces, put herself back together, and once she’s done that, she'll be ready to start her life. A new life.

 

Now that she's awake, Veronica feels how sore her body is from last night. Once she catches sight of herself in the mirror, she’s also grateful Alex didn't stick around to see what she looks like in the morning– or evening, actually.

 

Her just-out-of-bed, sex hair is out of control and her make-up is so smudged she looks like she’s just been punched in the face. It‘s not the prettiest sight.

 

She calls down for room service; breakfast for dinner because she decided to spend over twelve hours in bed. And while she’s waiting for the food, she decides to go for a much needed and quick shower. Veronica stands under the steaming hot water for almost half an hour before it starts to turn cold. She turns off the water and manages to get into something a little more comfortable just as her food arrives.

 

While she eats, Veronica decides to give Cheryl a call, find out how graduation went and figure out what exactly she told Hermione about her and Archie. She can’t remember if she said she was going out for a celebratory to a celebratory dinner with the vixens tonight, or if they were spending their last night partying on campus with her fellow graduates. Either way, Veronica needs to hear a familiar voice and so she punches her friend's number into the phone and waits.

 

She picks up on the third ring and Veronica is eager to hear her complain about something that wasn’t perfect about the ceremony. But it’s not her voice that comes through. "Veronica!" Betty squeals happily into the phone. `"Oh my God! Guys – it's Veronica! V..." She sounds completely wasted. "I can't believe you missed it!" She screams into the phone and Veronica winces. "You were supposed to be here; B and V.” She says. “I miss you." Veronica can hear her pouting, and she suddenly feels a little left out. Betty’s right; it should have been her there with Betty and all of their friends, getting wasted and celebrating their new lives.

 

She's not there though. And a part of her knows that she made that decision. She chose to leave. But another part of her, the petty and vindictive part, blames Betty for it. Which is stupid, because it isn’t her fault. She did nothing wrong. Betty is just Betty. Sweet, kind, lovable, Betty. She can’t be blamed for how Archie feels.

 

"Your mom says you’re in L.A!” Betty exclaims, clapping her hands. She must drop the phone because the sound is muffled for a minute. “I’m back! Tell me all about it. Where are you staying? What did you see so far? Is it as awesome as it looks in movies?" She says it all in one breath, finally pausing for Veronica to respond.

 

“Uh... Congrats, B!” She says awkwardly. “Sounds like you’re really having a good time. Is... Can I talk to Cheryl?”

 

It feels so weird to not be talking to Betty about what she’s going through. She hopes it doesn’t hurt Betty's feelings but right now all she can think when she hears her voice is the how Archie looks at her; with that same stupid expression, he’s been looking at her with from before Veronica came to Riverdale. Like she's an angel who fell from the sky and is perfect in every way. Which, if she’s being honest, she is. Betty is perfect.

 

“Of course!” Betty says, her words coming out slightly slurred. “Cheryl, Cheryl, Cheryl!" Betty sings into the phone, "She's doing her hair.” She informs Veronica. “Just wait right here." Veronica frowns because it sounds like Betty drops the phone on the floor again, and then laughs when she hears Betty whisper, "Don't go anywhere…"

 

Apparently, Betty's in a celebratory mood tonight. Which is good. She deserves to have fun, too. Just because Veronica isn’t jumping at the chance to speak to her right now, it doesn’t mean that she doesn’t want her to be happy. And small talk about graduation and what Veronica is doing is perfect. Anything so that she doesn’t have to hear about how happy she and Archie are together. Veronica feels a sharp fleeting pain in her heart.

 

On the other end, she hears the phone being picked up and shuffled around. She waits patiently for Cheryl to say something; complain about the food, drunkenly yell at her, anything. But nothing is said. Which is strange because she swears she can hear someone breathing on the other end. Maybe it was drunk Betty again? "Helllo?" Veronica asks, stretching the word. "Cheryl?"

 

"Veronica…" Her breath gets caught in her throat at the sound of his voice. She can feel her entire nervous system slowly collapsing, and every tear in her heart that she’d worked so hard to mend this past week slowly coming apart. She feels like she’s going to throw up. "Are you…can we talk for a minute?"

 

She’s not sure if he says anything after that, slams the phone down onto the receiver before he has the chance. She takes a deep shaky breath, covering her face with her hands as she tries to squeeze her eyes shut tight enough to keep the pain inside. To not feel it. Just for one night. She’s tired of this. She doesn't want to cry over Archie anymore.

 

It shouldn't be like this, it was never like this before. He ruined everything. He ruined her best friend, the most important relationship in her life. Even when he wasn't hers, she loved him, just for being who he was, but she doesn't know him anymore. She doesn't want to know this version of him.

 

The version that never truly meant what he said, what he did. The one who broke her heart.  
...

 

When the phone rings ten minutes later, Veronica picks it up instantly. This time it really is Cheryl. "I'm so sorry," She says, explaining that they were all getting ready to go to a party. "I didn't realize I forgot my phone on the table until I came back."

 

"It’s okay," Veronica replies. “Betty sounded good.”

 

“She is.” A beat. "She misses you," Cheryl adds. She hesitates. "Archie shouldn’t have got on the phone. He told me you hung up on him…"

 

"Of course I did," Veronica says bluntly, feels her eyes stinging. "I have nothing to say to him, and I don't want to hear whatever he has to say to me. There's no point. We're over."

 

"I don't know, V." Cheryl sighs. Veronica can tell she’s holding back from saying something, but Veronica doesn't necessarily feel like begging her to spill since it's most likely something she doesn't want to hear. Instead, Cheryl continues, "That's what I told him. I mean, I said you aren't ready to talk to him, but he –" She stops.

 

"He what?"

 

"He’s all sad puppy eyes. He seems really torn up about you being gone," Cheryl complains. "It’s pathetic, really. But annoying as it is, it’s just made me certain that he regrets it; I can see it. And him and Betty –"

 

"Nope. That's enough.” Veronica says, cutting in. “Enough Archie-talk for one day. Don't you want to hear all about my first night in the city of angels? I thought for sure you'd be asking me twenty questions every minute."

 

"Of course I do. How was it?" Cheryl agrees.

 

"It was ah-ma-zing!" Veronica sighs happily. "It was... epic.” She smiles to herself.

“I can’t believe you just said that.”

 

Veronica laughs. “I can’t believe I can finally use that word to describe a night in my life. Last night was epic." She sits back against the frame of the bed. "So, my friend Toni took me to this insane rave near the beach. And we danced for a while before this incredibly gorgeous man bought me a drink, and then came over to introduce himself. His name is Alex, and he's almost six feet tall with golden- yes, golden- hair and the most gorgeous green eyes. Like the greenest I've ever seen in my life.” She pauses to catch her breath. “He and I talked for a bit, had another drink, and then he offered to take me on a tour of the city. Obviously, I said yes, and he took me to some of the most beautiful sights in the city. And then after the Hollywood sign…we went back to my place."

 

“Pardon moi!” Cheryl gasps.

 

"I know, I know! I’m not in the best place right now...” She says. “But I had sex with a hot stranger last night, and I don't regret it in the least. I had fun. And he was... unbelievable in bed.” She says, voice lower. “Unbelievable, Cheryl. I swear if I told you the things he and I did…"

 

"God, please spare me the details of your scandalous adventures!" Cheryl groans, but it just brings a smile to Veronica’s face. She pauses hesitantly. “So, Alex, huh?”

 

"What about him?" Veronica says. "He kept me awake all night to show me the sunrise, and then we went to bed, and when I woke up he was gone. We had a good time, but that's it. I don't know… "

 

"I gotta say. As Upper East Side as you are, I never really pegged you as a one-night-stand kinda girl."

 

"I was never a 'fall in love with your best friend and then force him to go out with you even though he never really liked you just because you're too insecure to lose him' kinda girl either," Veronica says sardonically. She bites her lip.

 

“Geez, take a few breaths and slow down.” Veronica can imagine Cheryl rolling her eyes and falling back onto her bed.

 

"Maybe Archie was right this whole time.” She doesn’t want it to be true but it’s the only thing that makes sense right now. “Maybe love never lasts. Maybe we’re all just fooling ourselves into thinking that getting attached and working to make someone in a relationship want something that they don’t want...” She sighs. “I just think... if love is all that it’s built up to be, why isn't it easier? Shouldn't loving someone be easy? Shouldn’t it not hurt this much?”


	5. part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Did you.... “ He‘s struggling to find the right words, hopes she’ll figure out what he’s trying to say before he makes an even bigger fool of himself. “Do.. Don’t you remember?” He asks, voice much smaller than he’d intended.
> 
> She nods slowly. "I wasn't that drunk." She smirks. "I don't have memory loss." Archie smiles back weakly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi there!!
> 
> * just a little heads up; when i started writing this chapter it was actually supposed to be much longer than it is. but it ended up being way too long and I wanted to get a chapter up as soon as possible so I decided to split it into half. so this chapter might not be very eventful but it’s only because the next few chapters are going to have a LOT going on and they're all going to be a bit longer. 
> 
> *Anyway, I hope you still enjoy this and I’d love to know your thoughts and suggestions. 
> 
> *If you’d like to chat with me about this fic or varchie or just.. anything in general, you can find me on tumblr @veronicasloddge !!
> 
> And as usual, I'd love to hear what you guys think of this chapter!
> 
> Enjoy :)

_i. roughly 3 months ago_

 

Archie wakes up the next morning feeling like crap. His mouth is dry and he’s got a pounding headache. Not to mention the light coming through the curtains they forgot to close last night is killing his eyes. He doesn’t want to wake up, honestly, would prefer to sleep until the hangover is gone and his head doesn’t feel like it’s made of metal.

He turns to his side to look at the bed beside his, but it’s empty and unmade. He hears the shower running and his mind immediately snaps to Veronica. To that kiss. Because yeah, he’d done that, he’d kissed his best friend. Or she’d kissed him. Or something like that.

  
Yeah, he definitely was not drunk enough to forget that.

  
Shit. He can’t believe they did that. He tries his best to shake off the feeling of dread. This isn’t what was supposed to happen. They were not supposed to kiss. He climbs out of bed slowly, beginning to pace around the small motel room frantically. He hears the water stop running. This can’t be happening. He doesn’t want to go home. He doesn’t want to wreck everything.  _They weren't supposed to kiss!_

  
And he wasn't supposed to enjoy it. 

  
“Hey,” She says, coming out of the bathroom. She’s got one of the hotel towels wrapped around her. Her hair is wet and her skin glowing.

  
“Hey,” Archie says, sitting down.

  
She sits down at the foot of her bed. Archie tries not to looks at her, tries not to picture her lips on his all over again. Her chapstick that tasted like cherries mixed with the tequila on her tongue.

  
"I'm going to have a shower.” He announces, getting up too quickly. He feels his head spinning all over again and he has to sit back down. Veronica laughs.

  
"How do you feel?" She asks, smirking.

  
"Peachy.” He presses his lips into a line.

  
"I’ll bet." She smiles warmly at him. Wait... Does she not remember the kiss? Maybe she doesn't, that would certainly make things easier. Or does she just not want to talk about it?

  
"What time is it?" He asks.

  
"Noon." She mumbles. Archie lies back onto the bed. "The shower was really nice." She tells him. "You should try one."

  
Archie nods. “Maybe.”

  
"Thank you." She comments. Archie gives her a pointed look. “For last night. I had a really great time.”

  
Archie searches her face, tries to find anything that might show if she’s thinking about the kiss. Nothing. He has no idea what he’s doing. This is Veronica. She’s the most honest and straightforward person he’s ever met. If she remembers the kiss she’ll bring it up eventually, if she doesn’t bring it up then she probably doesn’t remember it.

  
"Yeah." He says tiredly. She walks over and holds out a hand for him.

  
"Need some help getting up?" He shakes his head, getting up on shaky legs and heading towards the bathroom.

  
It’s only once the door is locked behind him and the water is running that he can finally let out the breath he’s been holding since he woke up.  
….

   
They end up spending the rest of the day inside, courtesy of the rain and gray sky outside. There’s no trace of the heat and sunny skies that followed them around this entire trip. Archie sips his coffee, trying to keep his mind off of last night. Veronica’s run out to get the charger she’d forgotten in the car in all the chaos of the night before.

  
He distracts himself by thinking about what he wants to do once he’s settled down in Chicago. It won’t be for too long– graduation is less than three months away– but he hasn’t even decided which college he’s going to yet. No, he’s decided to leave that decision right up until the last minute. So far he’s gotten an acceptance letter from the University of Michigan’s music school. The only problem is that he can’t imagine being that far away from everyone he cares about. From his dad. From his friends and from Veronica. He’s not sure when those became two separate categories.

  
The door opens slowly and Veronica walks in, hair tousled and shoes all muddy. Archie watches her silently as she pulls off her shoes and complains about the weather even though she’d been hoping they’d get summer rain since Nashville. He doesn’t know what to say. He hates feeling tense and awkward and God knows what else. He can’t wait for her to say something. “Veronica...” He begins.

  
Her eyes stay on the book she’s just picked up off the nightstand. Jane Eyre. “Hmm?” She says, opening the book cautiously.

  
“Last night...” He starts.

  
Her phone starts ringing on the table beside him. It’s Kevin.

  
"Sorry.” She mumbles, walking over to the table. She reads the name flashing across the screen before declining the call and pushing her phone into her jacket pocket. “Last night.” She repeats nonchalantly.

  
"Did you... “ He‘s struggling to find the right words, hopes she’ll figure out what he’s trying to say before he makes an even bigger fool of himself. “Do... Don’t you remember?” He asks, voice much smaller than he’d intended.

  
She nods slowly. "I wasn't _that_ drunk." She smirks. "I don't have memory loss." Archie smiles back weakly.

  
"Shouldn’t we talk about it?"

 

"We were drunk." She says, slowly. He nods. Yes. She’s right. Still, he ’s been drunk several times before. And never before, no matter how wasted he was, had he felt the urge to kiss random people. And if he did, it would b because he thought it would be fun or exciting. But he _really_ wanted to kiss Veronica last night.

 

"You're right." He mumbles. He tries to figure out her reaction but keeps coming up blank. Maybe she just wants to forget about it.

  
“You're my best friend, Archie.” She says with a smile. “You’re pretty much the only friend I have right now. I don't want this to screw it up."

  
He nods. "Me neither."

  
Good. Great. That’s exactly what he was hoping to hear. Him and Veronica being anything else besides friends right now would only end badly. This is exactly what he wants. Friends. That’s what he wants. Just like she does, apparently.

  
Then why does it feel like such a letdown?  
…

 

They stay in the same motel for another four days. The rain is strong and unwavering. They spend their days drinking coffee and watching old movies in their hotel room and their nights at a small restaurant with a karaoke room (of course Veronica manages to find one). She sings almost every night, a different song each time but none of them will ever be as good as Wonderwall. She loves it.

  
They make a pact no more getting completely wasted because it leads to... things they don’t want it to lead to. So they don’t order more than two drinks each. They don’t get drunk. They don’t kiss.

  
As they’re pulling onto the highway, finally ready to go someplace else now that the sky is blue, Veronica sighs. "I wish they had a college here.” She says.

  
"You want to live _here_?"

  
"What?!” She rolls her eyes. “It's small and... quaint and perfect."

  
"Did I say anything?" He says, raising his hands defensively.

  
“You didn’t have to.” She shakes her head at him. “What’s wrong with this place?”

  
“Nothing’s wrong with it.” He sighs, biting his tongue. She’s still staring at him expectantly, waiting for an explanation. “It’s just... I can’t picture you ever living in such a small town. It wouldn’t be very Veronica Lodge.”

  
“Oh.”

  
“It’s a compliment.” He assures her, resting his hand on top of hers.

  
“In that case,” She intertwines her fingers with his. “Thank you. I think.” She sighs. “It wouldn’t matter anyway, the closest college is in Lafayette.” Archie shakes his head at her. She yawns and rests her head against the window.

  
“So where are we going next, anyway?” Archie asks, clearing his throat.

  
"To a wedding.” She grins. “We need to crash one."

  
"I was hoping you’d forgotten about that." He sighs. She reaches over and punches his shoulder.

  
She yawns again. He can hear her phone vibrating, moving around in her purse, but she shuts her eyes and ignores it. It’s been ringing off the hook for the last few days. He hates himself for getting her caught in the middle of his relationship drama.

  
"And how exactly do we find a wedding?" He asks, rubbing his temples.

  
“I’m not sure.” She shrugs. "But we will." Archie doesn’t question her, he knows better by now than to expect things would not go perfectly according to her plan.  
…

 

They stop for gas in Little Rock and Veronica hates the city right away. It’s crowded and loud and reminds her of what she never liked about New York. Archie goes inside to pay so that they can “get out of here as quickly as humanly possible” as Veronica put it. She’s convinced there’s no point in looking for a wedding here and so they should just keep driving. He picks up a few energy drinks and heads over to the men’s room to wash his face.

  
Inside, his phone starts ringing. He sighs and pulls it out of his back pocket. It’s Jughead. Again. He almost considers picking up just to tell him to stop calling.

  
Shutting his eyes, he throws some water on his face and heads back to the car.

  
Veronica’s got both front windows propped open and she’s leaning back in her seat. “Hello.” She says before he’s even touched the door. He opens it and starts climbing in when she points to the phone pressed up against her ear. She gestures for him to give her a minute and he nods, getting out of the car. He shuts the door behind him and leans against the car, waiting for her to finish.

  
"Still here." He hears her say.

  
"Why?" She says into the phone. "Why do you care?" Archie’s not sure if she minds that he’s overhearing her conversation.

  
"Yes." She doesn’t say anything after that. He wonders if she’s done but when he peers through the window to check she’s still holding the phone up between her shoulder and her ear.

  
"You don't say.” She deadpans. He can picture her rolling her eyes as she says it. “I wonder why."

  
"You stole your best friend’s girlfriend.” She snaps. Jughead. He’s not sure what to think, or feel, or do. “You knew what it would do to him.”

  
Jughead talks for a minute and Veronica scoffs. "You’re kidding, right?" Archie wonders how many times in the last few weeks she’s had a fight with someone over the phone because of him.

  
"Ouch, now I'm hurt." She says mockingly. A second later she shakes her head. “No.”

  
"I’m in the car." She sighs. “Alone.”

  
"Jughead, I'm not giving him the phone. He'll pick up when he's ready." Archie shuts his eyes.

  
Jughead says something else and it makes her lose her hold on the phone and it falls onto the carpet. She reaches down and picks it up, glancing at the screen. “What?” She misses a beat and then, "Why?"

  
This time it takes a while before she says something else. It’s another question. "What?"

  
She gasps. "You broke his nose?!" What?! "Is he okay?" Veronica rubs her forehead anxiously.

"She’s done it before." She says softly once she gets a response to her first question. Archie’s extremely confused. “Why not now?”

  
Jughead says something. "Shit." She sighs. “Is that why you’ve been calling?” She asks. Nonstop.

  
"Wait until he picks up." She tells Jughead. He mumbles something and then, "No."She hesitates. "It's not my place."

  
Then she hangs up. Archie moves a few steps over, away from the window and waits for her to tell him to come in. He can still see her hand shaking as she mumbles something to herself. Archie wonders what’s going on with Jughead. Whatever it is it can’t be good if he’s desperate enough to call Veronica.

  
Those two are like oil and water.  
…

  
“Sorry about that.” She says as he opens the car door for the second time. He nods mutely, getting back into the car. Just as he sits down, her phone sounds again. This time it’s Betty. “Shit.” She mumbles, tensely running a hand through her hair.

  
“Hey,” He says, placing a hand on top of hers. “How about we shut our phones off for a few days?”

  
Veronica hesitates, glancing at her best friends name beaming across her screen. “Okay.” She sighs, ignoring Betty’s call and powering off her phone. She pushes it into the glove compartment. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.

"You okay?" Archie says softly.

  
“Let's just get out of here.” She closes her window slowly. “I hate Little Rock."

  
"Okay."

  
Veronica turns the volume up and Stevie Nicks’ voice fills the car. I don't wanna know. Archie can feel the sound through the steering wheel.

  
"Is there a single song on this album that isn’t depressing?" Archie asks, shaking his head.

  
“Probably.” She replies, distractedly. She’s staring out of the window, lost in thought. She smiles and turns to face him. “For the most part, they’re all about crappy relationships, broken hearts, not knowing when to give up. That kind of stuff.”

  
"Like this one."

  
"Yeah.” She says. “Stevie Nicks wrote it about Lindsay Buckingham. They were in love but they fought all the time, they were so incompatible. So eventually they had to break up." Archie considers whether or not that’s what’s going on with Betty and Jughead. Maybe they didn’t work. Maybe they broke up.

“That’s a hell of a story.” He whispers, examines her face carefully. The music fills the gaping silence.

 _I don't wanna stand between you and love, honey_  
_I just want you to feel fine_  
…

  
The first time Archie ever considered Veronica to be one of his friends was the night she introduced herself to him and Betty at a booth in Pop’s years ago. She was mysterious and funny and happy and radiant.

  
The first time he realized just how much her friendship meant to him, how important it was to him, was the day of his first showcase. They were in a fight and he was completely on edge and Betty never understood the way he spoke about music like Veronica did. He can’t even remember what they were fighting about now. But he stayed that way, heart racing and fists clenched, all day. Right before his performance, Veronica met him backstage. They made up and somehow she calmed his nerves, helped him catch his breath, gave him the reassurance he needed (because _yes he could do this_ ) just in time for him perform.

  
He’s driving on an empty road in the middle of nowhere now. And it’s the first time Archie’s entertained the idea that maybe– just maybe– she might be the most important thing in his life right now.

  
If he ever has a problem or something bothering him, she’ll listen to him vent, and always make him laugh. No matter the circumstances. She’s the most honest and happy person he knows and he’s certain that being her friend has only ever made him a happier and kinder person. She is always there for him.

  
And now that she needs someone, needs him to be there for her. He has no idea what to do or say. He keeps wishing the right words would just fall into his mouth but they never come. So he stays silent.

  
She falls asleep eventually, just as they’re leaving Little Rock. Archie decides to look for a small town she’d like and so he keeps driving for almost five hours straight before he finds one. Sand Springs, Oklahoma.

  
It has to be the biggest small town they’ve been to so far. It’s got a population of just under 20,000. It takes him a while, but eventually, he finds a tiny B&B, owned by an old lady who carries her extra room keys on a chain around her neck.

  
Veronica’s still asleep so Archie decides to carry her inside, gently placing her on the bed. He covers her with a blanket before quietly carrying their bags into the room.  
…

 

Veronica wakes up almost an hour later. Archie’s lying beside her on the king sized bed trying his best to keep a moderate distance between them when he feels her hand reach out and take his. Her skin is so much warmer than his.

  
It probably should make him uncomfortable, being so close to her, but he’s just happy that she’s here. With him. Close enough to touch. Unlike Betty.

  
"Do you feel okay?" Archie whispers.

  
She seems surprised that he’s awake. He can feel her moving in the darkness, turning to face him. He can almost make out her eyes in the dark. “I think I might be getting a fever,” Veronica says softly.

  
“Lodges don’t get fevers.” He says mockingly, remembers it from three years ago when she’d first told it to him.

  
She laughs. “Touché.” He reaches out and touches her forehead. It is surprisingly hot. “Maybe I’m a hypochondriac, then.”

  
Archie laughs, and she joins him. He can’t see her, but he can picture her face, smiling. He can picture every part of her. Right in front of him.

  
"Maybe you're freaking out." He suggests.

  
"Maybe." Veronica sighs. Archie slowly strokes a hand through her hair, and she hums approvingly.

  
"You want to talk about it?" He asks softly. He feels her shaking her head under his palm.

  
"Not really."

  
"Okay." She moves in closer and Archie wraps his arm around her. She rests her head against his chest.

  
Her skin is scalding hot. "You're burning up" He whispers. She nods. They’re so close he can feel every breath she takes, feel her chest rise and fall irregularly. "You feeling any better?" He asks.

  
She nods again. "Yeah."

  
"Are you still tired?"

  
“A little.” She whispers.

  
“Try to get some more sleep, then.” He mumbles.

  
It doesn’t take her long to fall back to sleep. But Archie’s eyes can’t stay closed. He’s not sure whether it’s because he drank three cups of coffee on the road or because he feels hypnotized by the way she’s breathing– One, two, three. In. One, two, three. Out. Over and over.

  
Either way, he can’t sleep. Isn’t nearly tired enough. He feels happy and excited and confused and high.

  
Veronica’s somehow draped herself over him in her sleep all while he's stayed completely still and silent, afraid to wake her. Their legs are entwined and her lips are dangerously close to his. All it would take is him tilting his head slightly and his lips would be on hers, kissing her just like he did all those nights ago.  
…

  
“Why is that you’re always taking care of me when the whole point of this road trip was to cheer up?” Veronica whispers.

  
Archie smiles, opening up his eyes. “Good morning.”

  
He carefully untangles his arm from around her so she can sit up. "How do you feel?" He asks.

  
"Better."

  
"You sure?" He asks.

  
"Positive." She walks over to the kettle in the front of the room and turns it on. She looks better. Her eyes look brighter and she just seems more relaxed. "Where are we?" She asks.

  
"Sand Springs." He says. She rolls her eyes.

  
“Sounds made up.”

  
"It’s not." He assures her and it makes her giggle.

  
"That's amazing." Archie feels a wave of relief. She doesn’t hate it. That’s already a step up. "What time is it?" She asks, filling two cups with water.

  
"I don’t know." They both turn to the antique clock on the table. It’s just after eleven.

  
"May said breakfast is open until one," Archie says, getting off the bed. Veronica stares at him questioningly. “She runs the B&B.”

  
“Ah.” She picks up the remote and surfs through the channels until she finds one playing a cartoon. “Let’s watch some TV, then.” She grins. Archie smiles and sits back onto the bed.

  
“Wow.” He scoffs, as a blue cat begins dancing on the screen. “I can’t believe I never realized you were 12.”

  
"Hilarious." She deadpans.

  
"Seriously, Ronnie." He looks at her pointedly. “We’re really going to watch this?”

  
"I like kids shows.” She tells him, handing him a hot cup of coffee before sitting down next to him. “Things always end well."

  
"As opposed to... the real world?"

  
“Yep.” She sighs. "Nothing ends well in real life." Archie nods defeatedly.

  
She’s right about that much.  
…

  
"Excuse me,” Veronica asks the innkeeper, May, after breakfast. “Do you know if there are any weddings around here?"

  
The woman tilts her head. "Why?" She asks skeptically.

  
"We're actually on our way to one,” Veronica shrugs, taking a sip of her fresh lemonade. “But we can’t seem to remember the directions." Archie smiles to himself.

  
"Oh." The woman says, her features softening. "No, sorry. I don't think there's a wedding here.”

  
"Too bad." She sighs, getting up to leave. Archie follows her out of the room.

  
Archie looks at her questioningly. “What now?”

  
"Now we leave." She tells him, folds her arms in front of her chest. "No wedding here."

  
“Let’s go find us one then.”  
...

  
They look, and look and look... spend nearly two weeks driving around for hours on end hoping to find a wedding somewhere. Anywhere. They go salsa dancing at a club in a small town in Colorado. Veronica teaches him how to move with the music and 'lose his body to the rhythm'. They crash some kids birthday party and end up beating a group of eighth graders at Xtreme Paint Ball (apparently it couldn’t be more different from regular paintball). They even go kayaking in Utah and fail miserably at it. Everything besides crash a wedding. Archie’s starting to wonder if he got it right the first time around; maybe it shouldn’t be on the list.

  
“What?!” Veronica gasps, slapping his shoulder when he brings it up. “We did not drive all around the country just to give up now! We’re doing this.” She says firmly.

  
"Can't we just go to Vegas, then?" Archie asks. “Or Atlantic City?” It’s not that he doesn’t enjoy driving around with her. Because he does. Really. It’s the fact that they’ve been driving around directionless for days now, stopping in nearly every town they pass by.

  
"God," she sighs.

  
"What?"

  
"I want to see a real wedding.” She explains, twirling around a strand of her with her finger. “Not some drunk girl marrying a guy she met an hour before."

  
Archie laughs. "Have you ever been to a wedding?" He asks, smirking.

  
"Not one I’ve enjoyed.” She scoffs, opening her window. “Have you?"

  
"Yeah.” He sighs. “Honestly... they look like more fun in the movies." She glares at him. “What?”

  
“No wonder we haven’t found one yet.” She pouts. “I can’t believe you’ve been driving around with this attitude this entire time.”

  
“Sorry,” Archie mumbles half-heartedly. "Everyone always just gets drunk and ends up doing insanely stupid things." Veronica meets his eyes and then snorts. Archie can’t help but smile too. "Okay.” He sighs. "Where to next?"

  
Veronica shrugs.  
…

   
They’re in a town just outside of Arizona, called Springdale. The heat is back and their small motel room has no functioning air conditioner. He’s sitting on a park bench, fanning himself with the local newspaper when it catches his eye. A wedding announcement.

  
Summer Hall and William Collins. It’s a whole ordeal, covers almost an entire page. Apparently, the Collins family runs one of the largest Southern supermarket chains and as a result are extremely wealthy. The Collins’ son is marrying the daughter of a senator in the small town of Paradise Valley, Arizona. A journalist for the Arizona Star calls it the wedding of the decade. And the ceremony, a black-tie event, is to be held at one of the Collins’ many mansions.

  
“It’s in three days.” He says skeptically when he finally shows Veronica the article. “We might not be able to pull this off.” But he can tell by the glimmer in her eyes and the way she’s beaming up at him that it’s way too late to back out now.

  
They’re crashing a wedding.  
…

 

"Everything's booked.” Veronica sighs, opening her window.

"It’s a big wedding." They’ve been circling the oasis that is Paradies Valley for the last hour, searching for a hotel room. But there’s a party of five-hundred arriving to the small town, looking for a place to stay. So it’s not all that surprising that they can’t find anywhere to spend the night.

  
"I really thought this was the one," Veronica says, looking out of her window. “This town is sweet.”

  
"You think every town is sweet." Archie smiles at her, and she rolls her eyes. He sighs and decides to turn left. It’s probably a bad idea. They end up on a wide street, filled with people and small shops and a lovely park on the opposite side of the road. The color is refreshing and sumptuous.

  
"I love this place." Veronica sighs, longingly staring out of the window.

  
"How about you get out of this stuffy car, and go walk around.” Her eyes widen. Archie smiles at her. “I’ll go find us someplace to stay.”

  
"You sure?"

  
"Yeah." He nods.

  
"You’ll miss all the fun." She drops her head.

  
"I’ll survive." He deadpans. Veronica rolls her eyes and opens the door once Archie’s stopped the car. She beams at him.

  
Archie likes that about her. A minute ago, she‘d been tired and irritated. And now she‘s happy. All she needs are little things. He likes how easy it is to make her happy. How ready she is to welcome it. Making Betty happy had always been a struggle. Something he had to work for. Somehow he always ended up disappointing her.

  
"I'll meet you here in an hour," Archie says.

  
"Okay.” She smiles. It’s warm and infectious.

  
"Okay.” He echoes.

  
"Should we turn our phones on?" She asks nervously.

  
"Let’s not." He loves that more than anything else. The fact that they’re living in this little bubble right now. Where no one can reach them, no one can disturb them. He feels free.  
…

 

  
Archie pulls up right beside her. She looks surprised to see him. “Sorry, I’m late,” Archie says, getting out of the car and sitting on the bench beside her.

  
“No need to worry,” Veronica says, standing up. Archie follows her. She sighs, turning to face him. “I kept myself busy.”

  
“I missed you.” He says softly, unconsciously.

  
“You were gone for just over an hour.” She laughs.

  
“The drive was way too quiet.”

  
Veronica rolls her eyes. “Well, I missed you too.” She says, tilting her head. Archie smiles, putting an arm around her shoulder as they walked through the small park.

  
"Did you find somewhere for us to stay?" She asks skeptically. Archie nods, smirking. He has a feeling she’ll definitely like what comes next.

  
She looks at him pointedly. "In the mansion." He says proudly.

  
"The Collins mansion?" She asks, eyes wide and focused on him. He nods again. “You mean the gorgeous third-century Victorian palace-sized one we drove past coming into town?!”

  
"Yeah." Archie grins. She’s still staring at him. Waiting. “I knocked on the door and convinced them we were friends of the bride here to surprise her for the wedding.”

  
Veronica laughs, folding her arms in front of her. “I’m impressed, Andrews.” She says softly.

  
“What can I say?” He grins at her. “I learned from the best.” She bites her lip. “You’re a really bad on influence on me, Ronnie.”

  
“Don’t worry, Archiekins.” She assures him. “You haven’t lost all of your small-town charms yet.”  
…

 

  
She sees the store from all the way across the road, takes his hand and drags him along. "Hi there," Veronica says as they walk in, waving over a lady he assumes is the storekeeper based on the fact that she’s the only one in here. "We're going to the Collins wedding tonight, but our luggage got lost somewhere between here and Paris." Archie grins to himself.

"Oh, dear." The lady says, adjusting her glasses.

Veronica nods gravely, lowering her head slowly. “He needs a suit.” She says, pulling on Archie’s hand. He straightens his back and watches the lady intensely before he realizes what Veronica’s said.

He groans. "I have a ton of suits. Back home. Can't I just rent one for now?" Archie watches expectantly as Veronica meets the lady's gaze and rolls her eyes. The lady sighs and nods in a way that Veronica seems to understand even though Archie has no idea what’s going on.

"We only have an hour or two…" Veronica continues.

"I can make it work." The woman says, placing a hand on Veronica’s reassuringly. "No one should go to a wedding as big as that without looking their absolute best."

Archie groans again.

“Grey or Black?” She asks Veronica. Veronica tilts her head and her eyes are on Archie in a way that makes him feel something he can’t explain.

“Black,” Veronica says with a smile.

“I’m Emily.” The woman nods, extending her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, dear.”

“Veronica. And this is Archie. Thank you so much for helping us.”

Emily shrugs. “Well, you’re such a beautiful pair of kids, I doubt my job will be that hard.”

Veronica smiles but Archie just rolls his eyes, groans again. “I have suits.” He repeats for what feels like the millionth time. Emily pats his shoulder slowly.

“It’s okay. I already have the perfect one for you.”

He tries the plainest ones first, chooses the three cheapest ones he finds first to try on. He follows Emily behind a plastic screen while Veronica sits anxiously on a couch on the opposite side of it. Emily shakes her head disappointedly as he shows it to her.

“It looks good.” He says politely. A lie, of course. He wants this to be over and done with as soon as possible.

“No.” Emily sighs, rolling her eyes. “It doesn’t. Let’s try another one.” Archie wishes it weren’t the truth but she may be right. The fit is all wrong. It’s baggy and makes him look frail and short and like the slightest wind might knock him over.

“Let me see!” Veronica calls from the other side. She sounds exasperated.

"No." Emily snaps. "He’s not ready yet." Archie feels relieved. He much rather prefers that no one else ever sees him in this.

"We can try on the blue one." He suggests. Emily doesn’t seem at all impressed by the idea.

She scrunches up her face. “It won’t look good either.”

"Ouch."

"I'm sure your wife won’t complain if we went a spend a little longer trying to find the perfect one," Emily says with a smile. Archie’s confused for a second before he realizes; Emily thinks that they‘re married.

A shiver of excitement runs through him.  
....

   
Archie tries on three more suits before they find the perfect one. He can see the satisfaction on Emily's face as he’s closing the last button. She gestures for him to follow her around the screen and he does so silently.

 

Veronica must hear them coming because as they’re rounding the corner, she’s straightening her back, shutting the bridal magazine in her hand. When her eyes land on him she freezes for a second. No, not a second. The smallest fraction of a second in which Archie’s sure that her eyes are going to burn holes into his skin.

 

His head starts spinning. "How does it look?" He asks, shaking it off, raises an eyebrow.

 

Veronica gets off the purple couch, walks towards him. “I, uh...” She clears her throat. “I think the, uh, sleeves... they might be a bit too long.” She reaches forward and plays with the fabric of his sleeve cuff. Archie watches her intently. Her fingers are cold against his skin and it reminds him of that night outside the bar. Kissing Veronica, her hands on the back of his neck.

 

Everything reminds him of that night. He can't stop thinking about it.

 

"No," Emily says. "They're just right."

 

Veronica nods, smoothing over the fabric with her hand. "You're right. It's perfect."

 

"It's expensive," Archie says.

 

"I’m rich." Veronica reminds him with a smirk. He can’t tell whether she’s serious or it’s part of the act. Saying that they couldn’t afford it probably isn’t what a guest of the Collins wedding would say. They all probably bought brand new and expensive outfits just for the occasion.

 

Archie opens his mouth to protest but Emily stops him. "I'm sure you'll make it up to her tonight." She snaps. Archie’s eyes go wide and he watches Veronica fight down a giggle. He meets her eyes and she winks at him.

 

"I'll pay you back." He mumbles once Emily's disappeared behind the counter.

 

"No, you won't. I’m your wife, remember? It’s what we do.” Veronica says. Archie rolls his eyes.

....

 

Archie waits patiently on the couch as Emily leads Veronica behind the screen and begins talking to her in a calming voice. Archie smiles.

 

"I just got this in." He hears her tell Veronica.

 

“It’s gorgeous,” Veronica says softly.

 

“Isn’t it?”

 

Archie didn’t notice how thin the screen was before. Now, however, he can hear everything. Everything Emily whispers and every time she pulls a dress out of its case and everything else. He can hear Veronica unzipping her dress right before it falls to the floor. And there it is again. That feeling. A wave of something he doesn’t want to understand for fear of what it might do to this friendship.

 

So, instead, he decides to pick up the magazine he’d seen Veronica reading earlier and starts to flip through the pages absentmindedly.  
.... 

 

He hears their footsteps before he sees them, pretends to still be interested in whatever it is the article in front of him says.

 

"I think you'll be quite pleased," Emily says with a smile, coming out from behind the screen. Archie lifts his gaze to the two figures in front of him. The magazine slips out of his hand, falls onto the floor.

 

It’s not like he’s never seen Veronica in a dress before. She wears one every other day, and she’s worn them to school dances before too. So there’s really no logical explanation for why he feels so dizzy when he sees her. She’d always looked good in dresses, no doubt about that. But has she always looked _this_ good? 

 

"What do you think?" Veronica asks. Her voice sounds like honey. Archie bends down to pick up the April issue of 'BRIDES' magazine, tries to form a single coherent thought.

 

"It looks great." He mutters, still at a loss. Emily rolls her eyes.

 

" _Great_?” She echoes. Archie struggles to meet Veronica’s eyes. “She looks like a goddess.”

 

Archie nods silently. She does. Her shoulders are exposed and her skin looks smooth and bright and beautiful. She looks strong and powerful and beautiful and it’s all just making it really hard for him to catch his breath. She looks like someone who could ruin you. Like someone who could change your life.

 

"It's…" He begins slowly.

 

"Very, very expensive" Veronica sighs, attempting to finish his sentence. “Way over our budget.”

 

Archie can’t stop looking at her. He tries to pull his eyes away, tries to do something, anything that might end this trance he’s under. “Ronnie, you should take it.” He says firmly. Emily claps her hands excitedly.

 

“It’s 400 dollars,” Veronica says. Archie’s eyebrows shoot up and Veronica laughs. Emily looks at her sternly and she sighs. “The green one wasn’t that bad.”

 

“You didn’t show me that one,” Archie says.

 

“It looked like a train wreck next to this one,” Emily tells him.

 

Archie smiles. “Let’s get this one then.”

 

“Archie..” Veronica says. “It’s... a lot of money.”

 

“That’s a very un-Veronica Lodge thing to say, isn’t it?” She rolls her eyes. Archie smiles at her. “Honestly, Ronnie. I thought it would cost way more. It looks...” He sighs. “This is almost a steal.”

 

Veronica shakes her head at him.

 

"And anyway... You're rich, remember?"  
…

 

Archie waits patiently on the foot of the bed while Veronica does her makeup in the bathroom.

 

In the quiet of the room, he can hear Veronica muttering to herself in the bathroom. He gets up and walks over to the mirror where he starts adjusting his tie.

 

He tries to focus. He really does. But no matter what he does, no matter how much he doesn’t want his mind to go there, all he can think about is Veronica. That stupid kiss in the middle of the street. How much he liked it. How much it would mess things up if anyone else found about it... if Betty found out about it.

 

There’s no way they could ever go there. They‘re friends. Best friends. The whole reason they’re on this stupid trip in the first place is so that he can get over Betty. Betty who just happened to be Veronica’s closest friend in the world.

 

And the matter of whether he’s over Betty or not is still to be determined.

 

He hears Veronica in the bathroom again. “Shit." She groans. "Shit."

 

"You okay?" Archie calls, walking towards the door.

 

"Yeah." She replies.

 

"Ronnie, we need to leave." He says, checking his watch. It’s almost 2 pm. The wedding is starting in less than twenty minutes and it's going to be a lot harder to get into the actual thing than it was getting into the mansion.

 

"I know. Just give me a minute."

 

"Need some help?" Archie asks, tapping his finger on the door. Veronica unlocks the door quickly, letting Archie in.

 

Archie looks at her, stunned. His mouth is slightly open, eyes fixated on her. The wind moves her hair slowly, just a little around her face. He can’t move. “What?” She asks worriedly, turning back to the mirror. “Is it the dress?”

 

Archie shakes his head. “No.”

 

“Then what?”

 

“Nothing.” He says softly. He sucks in a deep breath. “You look amazing, Ronnie... and nervous.”

 

"I’m not nervous." She assures him.

 

"What's the problem then?"

 

"Nothing." She smiles at him in the mirror. He watches as she picks up her eyeliner and skillfully draws it onto her eyelids in a neat line. She sighs, looking at her appearance in the mirror. She plays with her hair, brushing it behind her ears. “I think I’m going to wear it down.” She tells him.

 

"You should."

 

"I'm ready." She smiles at him again, following him out of the bathroom.

 

"You sure you're okay?" He asks.

 

"Yeah.”

**_ii. today_ **

   
Veronica decides to take a nice warm bath just after sunset and she comes out of it with a newfound enthusiasm. She decides she's not going to sit around and sulk all night, not when she’s got an entire city at her fingertips. Especially one with virtually anything she could think of to do.

 

Now that she’s 18 she has access to one of the funds her father set up for her. The only one that wasn’t emptied out or full of blood money. Almost five thousand dollars and she’s brought her credit card along with her of course, so she really can do anything she wants to. The thought brings a smile to her lips, one that’s almost devilish.

 

She slides into a pair of tight black leggings she’d bought the night before she left Riverdale and her favorite purple blouse, checks that she’s got everything she needs in her purse, and then makes her way down to the lobby.

 

Veronica rings the bell at the front desk, waving over the man behind the counter. “Good evening.” He says with a bright smile. It looks forced.

 

“Hi.” She mutters. “Can you tell me where the nearest mall is?” He points her to a wall full of brochures on his left. Veronica rolls her eyes at his inability to just answer her question. Nevertheless, she quickly skins through the brochure wall until she finds what she’s looking for. Beverly Center. The picture on the front is of the outside of the mall, which is humongous and filled with only the best and most high-end stores. She recognizes the building from when she and Alex were driving around the night before. She’s certain that there are other, probably much closer, malls but this one just speaks to her.

 

It is a mall after all, and Veronica Lodge loves to shop. So, she heads outside, eager to finally be doing some retail therapy.  
....

  
Veronica heads straight for the parking lot, unlocking her car with the button on her keychain before hopping in.

  
Her phone starts ringing just as she’s pulling out of the parking lot. “Hey,” Jughead mumbles once she answers.

  
“Hi.” She takes a right, moving along the road with the flow of traffic. “What’s up?”

  
“Just checking in.” He says. “What are you doing?”

  
“Shopping.” She says distractedly, trying to follow the directions on the city map in front of her. Jughead let’s out a warm laugh. “How was dinner with the Scooby gang?” She asks.

  
“We had a ball.” He says lightly. She realizes that she’s never really considered just how much this whole mess was affecting him too. She never really considered that anyone else was hurting besides her. “Best night ever.”

  
Veronica laughs. “How drunk are you?” The streets are much emptier than they were when she first got here.

  
“Pretty drunk.” He sighs. Veronica wishes she knew what to say to help him get through this. Hell, she wishes she knew what to say to get herself through this. She wishes it were all just a little easier. “I spoke to her.” He says softly. “Betty.”

  
Veronica turns onto the road she’s looking for. “You did?”

  
“More like she talked to me and I just stood there.” Jughead mumbles. She can picture him collapsing onto the couch as he says it.

  
“Cut her some slack.” She says softly, keeping her eyes trained on the road. “None of this is her fault.”

  
“Maybe not what happened between you and Arch,” Jughead tells her, pausing to catch his breath between each word. If they were having this conversation in person, she’d be able to smell the booze coming off his breath. “But she and I...”

  
“I know,” Veronica whispers.

  
“Anyway,” He continues, clearing his throat. “I just wanted to ask if you’ve decided when you’re coming back yet.” Veronica sighs. “I know, I know. I just... graduation would’ve been a little less unbearable with you here.”

  
“Aww,” Veronica smiles. “I miss you too, Jug.”

  
“Whatever.” He says. Veronica rolls her eyes. “Let me know when you finally decide to come back. I’ll bring out the best champagne Pop’s has to offer.”  
...

 

The mall isn’t hard to find. It’s even bigger than it seems to be in the picture and Veronica wonders if maybe she should’ve left the shopping for the morning. She’s got less than two hours to shop.

 

But since she's already here, Veronica decides to make the most of it. She easily finds a parking space in the complex and makes sure she commits both the floor and row number to memory. No way does she plan on getting lost in here after closing. She waits for an elevator for what feels like forever until finally one arrives and a couple emerges from it happily. They both smile at Veronica before walking away.

 

She feels like she’s in a pathetic romance movie and she’s the girl who doesn’t get a happy ending and so everywhere she goes all she sees are these people, happy and in love. And it hurts more than she cares to admit. And it’s not any better once she gets to the main floor. It’s filled with couples walking hand in hand, best friends laughing over something or the other and comparing purchases. All it does is make her feel incredibly alone.

 

This is definitely not how she planned on this night going.

 

At least the mall is beautiful. It takes her aback for a minute. The one mall back in Riverdale that she‘s usually forced to go to doesn’t even have half as many stores, and it definitely isn't as intriguing as this 'contemporary-yet-classic mall masterpiece'.

 

She doesn’t waste any time, jumps right into the heavenly universe that she’s just stepped into. She leaves the first store with two big bags and an hour and fifteen minutes to spare for shopping elsewhere. She divides her time carefully and manages to check out and purchase items from a variety of sophisticated, classy, and charming stores throughout the mall.

 

At last the night seem to be looking up.  
...

 

Before she heads to her room, she makes sure to let the front desk know that she’ll be staying here for at least another night or two, and she pays up front so that she doesn’t have to worry about that later on.

 

Upstairs in her room, Veronica skillfully pulls out each of her new items, lays them out on the bed one by one. She loves everything she’s bought. And the whole retail therapy thing did end up working because she hasn’t thought about _him_ all night.

 

She puts her music library on shuffle and picks up the first item she bought, tries it on and checks herself out in the big mirror outside the bathroom. She tries on each item, taking her time in doing so. She’s pleasantly surprised to find out that none of the items are anything less than she expected them to be, neatly folding them and tucking them away in the hotel’s dresser.

 

Veronica collapses onto the bed almost an hour later, stretching out across it. Her fingers brush over the bottom of the headboard, over her pillow. She’s tracing lines over the sheet when she feels something small with sharp and pointed-edges. She wonders what it might be before realizing that it’s on the side of the bed where Alex had slept the night before.

 

Veronica sits upright, reaching out to grab the mystery object from underneath the pillow. It’s not what she expects. A small dark blue card with the name of some fancy French hotel- whose name she isn’t entirely sure how to pronounce- printed on it in gold letters.

 

“Crap,” Veronica mutters. She smiles to herself, placing the card next to the phone on her nightstand. Maybe he left it here for her to find. Maybe he wants to see her again.

 

Maybe she wants to see him too.

 


	6. part 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There it is again. The feeling that this rhythm they’ve got going where she’s here for him and he’s here for her in a way she can't describe, that everything that’s happened since they left Riverdale and everything else before that, is about to come crashing down.
> 
> Veronica is still struggling to think of what to say when the music starts playing. She puts her almost empty glass down and takes Archie’s hand. “Quick.” She says softly, feeling butterflies. “Let’s sit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another chapter?? in less than a week?? looks like i might actually be getting my shit together 
> 
> * tbh I did not expect to have a chapter for at least another few days but I received so many AMAZING comments and reviews this week that last night I just forced myself to sit down and finish it. This was possibly my favorite chapter to write so I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.
> 
> * if you’d like to chat with me about this fic or varchie or just.. anything in general, you can find me on tumblr @veronicasloddge !!
> 
> I'd love to hear what you guys think of this chapter!
> 
> Enjoy :)

_**i. 2 months ago** _

 

The first thing that comes to Veronica's mind as she and Archie step out of the doors of the mansion and onto the cobblestone pathway leading to the lawn is ‘It’s a beautiful day for a wedding’. The sun is back at long long last but it’s not scorching like it was before. It’s bright and playful and warms her skin without making her want to run fearlessly through the grass while the sprinklers are on.

  
The wedding is being held at the epicenter of the garden. There’s a huge gazebo covering nearly the entirety of the grounds. With the number of people here, it's no wonder they decided to have the wedding on the grounds. The town’s petite chapel couldn’t possibly hold even a fraction of the people invited.

  
The venue looks beautiful. The inside of the gazebo is covered in fairy lights, draped across the ceiling filling the room with a rose-gold tinted light. There’s a white carpet in the center of the floor, leading up to the altar with rows of perfectly aligned chairs on either side.

  
“Are you friends of the bride or the groom?” A girl holding a clipboard asks them at the entrance, while simultaneously talking to someone on her headset. Archie shrugs. The girl looks at Veronica questioningly.

  
“What?” Veronica mumbles. She hasn't actually decided on a story.

  
“Friends of the bride are seated on the right. Friends of the groom on the left.” The girl says. Veronica breathes a sigh of relief.

  
“Friends of the bride.” Archie cuts in. The girl nods and smiles at them. She gives Archie and Veronica each their own program and points them in the direction of their seats.

  
"What's our story?" Veronica asks once she's out of earshot. "How do we know...” She opens her program to check the bride's name, can’t for the life of her remember what it is. Something beginning with an ‘R’ maybe. “Summer?” She asks, closing the program.

  
“Considering that no one in the mansion even knows we’re here besides the housekeeper, we can go with any story.” Archie scoffs. "Maybe she's your friend." He suggests.

  
"From where?"

  
"I don't know.” Archie states. Veronica shrugs. It doesn’t sound all that believable. “Maybe, college."

  
Veronica shakes her head. “Nope.” She picks up a glass of champagne from the table in front of them. “We need something better.”

  
“Like what-“ Archie starts but Veronica cuts him off.

  
“Oh, I got it! ” She squeals, excitedly hitting on his shoulder. “You could be one of her exes.”

  
"Why would she invite her ex to her wedding?" Archie asks, confused. Veronica shakes her head at him. Sometimes it alarms her just how innocent Archie is. Too innocent to deserve all the things that have happened to him.

  
"To make you jealous." She says, taking a sip of her drink.

  
"Oh." Archie sighs. “Well, she’s too late. I’m happily married.” He lifts his hand up and waves it in front of her face. Veronica smiles. He’s moved the ring his dad gave him last year onto his left hand.

  
“Cute.” She mutters, unsure of what the appropriate reaction might be. There’s something terrifying about what it might mean if things were different. If she and Archie were actually... married. Or at the very least more than friends. If he weren’t in love with her best friend.

  
It makes her want to run and hide. It makes her feel like she's going to be sick.

  
“At least I’m wearing one.”

  
“I know, I’m sorry. I’m a horrible wife.” Veronica laughs. “Maybe Summer might have a chance of winning you back after all.”

  
“No way.” Archie states. Veronica smiles at him.

  
There it is again. The feeling that this rhythm they’ve got going where she’s here for him and he’s here for her in a way she can't describe, that everything that’s happened since they left Riverdale and everything else before that, is about to come crashing down.

  
Veronica is still struggling to think of what to say when the music starts playing. She puts her almost empty glass down and takes Archie’s hand. “Quick.” She says softly, feeling butterflies. “Let’s sit.”  
.... 

 

Summer Hall– soon to be Collins– looks beautiful. She’s wrapped up in a stunning pearl white dress with a train that appears to be at least 10 feet long. She’s got a thick veil covering her face and a pretty bouquet composed of tulips and calla lilies in her hand.

  
She looks happy.

  
Veronica’s been to a lot of weddings over the years, everything from New York’s most elite ceremonies to the lavish small town weddings of some of her cousins. She thought she’d seen it all when it came to brides. Sad ones, nervous ones, doubtful ones and even regretful ones. And she’d always just chalked it up to wedding day jitters. But this? Summer is shining with joy as she walks down the aisle, eyes bright and beaming and a smile so wide it reaches her eyes.

  
"She's gorgeous," Veronica whispers in Archie’s ear.

  
He turns his head an inch to look at her. She meets his eyes. "Yeah." He exhales.

  
The nearly wed couple start slowly reciting their vows one by one. They read them off of crumpled slips of paper held in shaky hands. They’re cliché and sickeningly sweet but they still manage to make Veronica cry.

  
She feels a flicker of something inside her when the groom, Shawn, says ‘I do’. A flutter of something magical. That two words could mean so much... could change so much. Just 3 letters. "I love weddings," Veronica says softly as they get up to leave to the other side of the garden where the reception would be held.

  
"Maybe.” Archie shrugs. “Don’t you think the white doves and string quartet are a bit much?”

  
"That‘s not the point." She sighs. Archie smiles down at her.

  
"You have a little... “ He gestures towards his cheek. Veronica looks at him pointedly. “Something.” He clarifies. “Under your eye."

  
"Oh." Veronica smiles warmly, gently wiping her thumb under her eye. “Did I get it?”

  
"No...It's okay.” Archie sighs, reaching forward. “I'll get it."

  
Veronica stops and looks up at him. Archie’s eyes don’t meet hers, instead, he focuses on carefully placing his finger under her eye. He rubs the skin softly. Veronica can feel herself blushing.

  
"There," Archie says. "All gone." He keeps his thumb on her cheek, not saying anything. It feels good, way better than such a simple thing should feel. Veronica takes a deep breath, takes him, in all his redheaded glory, in. "So?" He asks, voice low. “ Was this a good wedding to crash?"

  
She fights back a grin, bites her lip. "Yes."

  
"Good." His hand slips down and he put it into his pocket.

  
Veronica shudders at the emptiness she feels when it’s not there. She doesn’t feel like herself.  
…

 

"What a wonderful service.” A voice says. Veronica turns in the direction of it. A lady who looks just a few years older than herself sits down next to her.

  
“Mhmm.” Veronica nods, taking a sip of her champagne. “Beautiful.”

  
"I'm Iris.” The girl says, extending a hand out for Veronica. Veronica smiles politely at her, shaking her hand. “Charlie’s fiance.”

  
Veronica has no idea who Charlie is. She smiles brightly, hopes it hides how anxious she’s feeling. "Veronica.” She states.

  
The waiter comes out of the kitchen with their entrees. It looks delicious and expensive. “Is this your boyfriend?” Iris asks, gesturing to Archie who seems to be lost in his conversation with the man sitting beside him.

  
"My husband." Veronica corrects her. It feels strange to say, sounds weird coming out of her mouth. "Archie."

  
"Oh," Iris says, raising her eyebrows.

  
She sounds surprised, Veronica probably would be too. She doesn’t think that someone like Archie could be married to someone like Veronica. Of course. It‘s not a huge shock. Still, it usually takes more than two minutes for someone to label her as a shallow and heartless rich girl.

  
"You make a gorgeous couple," Iris says, smiling. It sounds genuine. Veronica has no idea how to respond to that.

  
"Thank you."

  
"So, are you friends of Summer, Shawn, or their fathers?" Iris giggles, taking a bit of her salad.

 

Veronica laughs. "Archie went to college with Summer."

  
"Really?” She asks. Veronica nods. “Did they date?"

  
"No," Veronica answers quickly. Probably too quickly. She sighs. "I don't think so."

  
Iris smiles at her. "They probably didn't, Back then Summer didn’t really date anyone. She just slept with a different guy every week.”

  
Veronica giggles, surprised. “ _Really_?”

   
"Yeah, she looks like a golden girl today, but she wasn't always like that." She sighs. "Personally, I liked her better before.” Iris winks at Veronica. “She was way more fun back then."

  
Veronica smiles. "Have you been friends a long time?"

  
"Since High School." She sighs. “You’re probably right, about your...”

  
“Archie.”

  
“Archie.” Iris echoes. “She probably didn’t sleep with him.”

  
"Who didn't I sleep with?" Archie asks, turning around. He places his hand on top of Veronica’s nonchalantly and she feels butterflies in her stomach.

  
"Summer."

  
"Nope," Archie says. Veronica shakes her head. What the hell have they gotten themselves into?

  
"Archie, this is Iris.” Veronica gestures between the two of them. “Iris, Archie." Archie shakes her hand.

  
"I'm Charlie’s fiance," Iris tells him.

"Oh, right. Summer’s brother." Archie says with a smirk as Veronica catches his eye. He looks proud of himself.

  
“Yeah.” Iris smiles, peering at her watch. “Well, I should probably go find him before they serve the next course.” She says, standing up. “It was great meeting you though, Veronica. You too, Archie.”

  
“Likewise.”  
…

 

The floor is cleared in time for dancing. It looks beautiful, like an entirely different locale, one wholly covered with fresh flowers. The exact amount of indulgence Veronica would expect for a wedding of this magnitude.

  
Veronica has no doubt that Summer is the one responsible for all the comely decorations. She can’t imagine Shawn Collins- whom she’d spoken to for a total of 3 minutes- caring too much, if at all, about how everything looks. She could tell simply by the way he kept stealing glances at Summer during the ceremony that they could’ve gotten married in a meager room in City Hall for all he cared.

  
"You look way too pensive for a person who wanted to be at this wedding so badly.” Archie places a drink in front of her and takes a seat next to her. She turns her gaze to him. He looks so good in his tuxedo it makes her want to take his hand and maybe move on to the next town.

  
She smiles up at him instead. "I'm just admiring the décor," She says, leans her head against his shoulder.

  
"It looks beautiful." Archie agrees. "So do you, by the way.” He says softly. She can feel her cheeks turning pink. “In case I didn’t say that before.” He’s unbelievable sometimes, she thinks. That he can make her feel all giddy and warm inside without even meaning to. She hates him just a little bit for saying those things. She hates herself even more for hoping he will.

  
This isn’t who Veronica Lodge is. She doesn’t get anxious and dizzy and amped up over the smallest of things. And she would understand if it were just some kind of attraction. Attraction is one thing. But this feels like something entirely different. Something she doesn’t understand. She doesn’t get crushes. Never has. Maybe only once in the second grade. Not like this. Not like she’s sinking and can’t breathe whenever he’s around.

  
She doesn’t get crushes.

  
Especially not on someone who’s in love with her best friend. Someone her best friend might still be hung up on.

  
The only problem is; it doesn’t feel like just a crush.

  
But whatever it is, whatever it isn’t, she can’t let herself go there.

  
Out of the blue, Archie looks at her with that dorky grin of his that makes her heart weak. “What?” She laughs, grinning. Archie gestures to his ear. Veronica’s still confused. “You’re not making any more sense, Archiekins.” She rolls her eyes.

  
Archie rolls his eyes. “Listen.” He says softly. And she has no idea how she hadn’t heard it before; Wonderwall. Veronica’s ears perk up.

  
"Best. Song. Ever." She tells him with a smile. “Everyone knows it.” Archie stands up and offers her his hand. Veronica sighs contently, taking it and following him to the dance floor in the center of the room.

  
“You’re right.” He smiles at her.

  
“Always am,” Veronica assures him with a smirk. Archie chuckles, nodding as they come to a standstill in the middle of the room and Archie takes her hand in his and drapes the other around her waist. Veronica leans in closer, linking her arm around his neck, letting him lead.  
...

 

It only takes a few seconds for her to remember what a good dancer he is. She remembers a conversation from years ago, drunk and sitting on the rooftop of the Pembrooke with Archie, Betty, and Jughead. Archie was rambling on about how music, to him, was like turning back the clock, traveling through space and time returning to some alternate reality or previous life full of agony and loss and still full of hope somehow.

  
At the time she didn’t understand a word of what he was saying, but she thinks she might understand it now. Archie’s grip on her hand tightens and his movements come with incredible grace and delicacy

  
It's not like she’s never danced with him before. It’s just different now, seeing him in this new mesmerizing light, trapped in this moment. She thinks she understands her feelings better now, too. She wishes she didn’t.

  
"You know, I don't think I've ever seen two people so happy," Archie whispers against her ear.

  
"Do you think they’ll make it?” She asks him, feels her lungs slowly collapsing as she feels his hands on her back and lets the realization sink in.

  
“I hope so,” Archie whispers. She feels like she’s going to be sick. How the hell could she have let this happen?

  
"Me too," She says softly. She gets the overwhelming urge to call Betty. She’d know what to do. And she’d know exactly what to say if she wasn’t the one person this would hurt the most.

"Do you think you’d ever do it?" He wonders. She can feel him watching her.

  
"Do what?" Veronica asks.

  
"Get married." He states. Veronica reminds herself that she’s dancing and so freezing in the middle of the floor is not an option right now.

  
She hums softly and lets one of her hands slide off of his neck to wrap around his chest. “Maybe.” She whispers. “I’ve never really thought about it. But I think if a relationship gets to the point where we might want to take that step, I wouldn’t object.” Archie nods and she leans her head against his chest, shuts her eyes. “Would you?”

  
"I used to think I would.” He whispers, she can feel his chest rising and falling minutely as he breathes. “I always pictured me and Betty, growing old together and raising our kids on the same street we grew up on," Archie admits. With every word, she can feel her breathing getting shallower.

  
She can picture it now; the wedding, the kids, the white picket fence, the Christmas cards. Archie and Betty and their picturesque life.

  
"And now?" Veronica asks with a lump in her throat.

  
"I don’t know, Ronnie.” He says honestly. “I think I'd still like that – spending the rest of my life with someone. I’m just not sure if I can take feeling like this ever again." Archie replies. The sun is starting to set and she can see the pink of the sky reflected in his eyes.

  
She feels tears welling in her eyes and she buries her head into him hoping he doesn’t notice it. She can’t believe she let this happen.

  
She’s can’t believe she’s in love with Archie.  
....

 

The dancing continues on all night. Veronica is standing against a wall, watching elegant silk dresses moving over marble times. She’s doing her best to avoid Archie, has asked him to get her a drink almost a dozen times tonight just so she can get some time to process whatever the hell she's just realized. Iris, who actually turned out to be the perfect person to give her the run down and who’s who of Paradise Valley’s elite, walks over to her and joins her. “It’s a wedding, you know.” She says with a chuckle. “You’re supposed to get drunk, not brood.”

  
Veronica laughs, opens her mouth to respond but stops when she feels a tap on her shoulder. “Here’s your drink,” Archie mumbles, handing it to her before sitting down at the table in front of them.

  
"You." A voice says loudly, and they all turn towards its origin. Its the bride herself, wedding gown and all, pointing at Archie. “Let’s dance.” She says, moving towards them. Veronica can smell the thirty-year-old scotch on her breath as she reaches out past her to grab Archie’s hand.

  
"Guess I can't say no the bride" Archie smiles, letting her lead him onto the dance floor. He flashes Veronica an apologetic smile as they disappear into the crowd. Her eyes follow him through everything. He looks happy. Maybe this all ended up working out in their favor somehow. Maybe he is over Betty.

  
Or maybe she just wants him to be so she can feel less guilty about feeling the way she’s feeling.

  
"How long have you two been married?" Iris asks, snatching Veronica’s glass from her hand and having a sip of her drink.

  
"Not long," Veronica answers evasively.

  
"I thought as much.” She says, pulling up a chair for Veronica before sitting down. Veronica joins her. “You both look so young."

  
Veronica smiles nervously. "How did you meet?" Iris asks. Veronica meets her eyes and for the first time on this crazy journey, her mind goes blank. She can’t think of a single story that would end with someone as genuine and kind-hearted as Archie marrying someone like her. She sighs. “He used to date my best friend.” She says slowly.

  
Iris’ eyes start sparkling. “You stole him?” She gasps.

  
"No, God, no.” Veronica shakes her head. “I could never steal anyone from Betty. She’s... Betty.” She takes a sip of her drink, meets Archie’s eyes from across the room and he shoots her a bright smile. “She broke up with him. They’d been dating for such long time we were all sure they would get married and be together _forever_.”

  
They always were the perfect couple. They always found their way back to each other.

  
"What happened?"

  
"They drifted apart slowly," Veronica says. It feels so strange talking about this when avoiding this exact topic has been her sole focus for the last month. “And she fell in love with his best friend.”

  
"Ouch," Iris says with a frown.

  
"I know."

  
"This best friend must be a real catch for her to dump _him_." Iris mumbles and Veronica giggles.

  
"Jughead’s good looking in a dark, brooding way, I guess." She says softly. “Although, I think their connection was more of an emotional one.”

  
“His name is Jughead?!” Iris asks, cheeks rosy as she bursts out laughing. She catches Veronica’s pointed reaction and takes a deep breath. “Sorry. Sorry, I just... Jughead, that’s a-“

  
“It’s a lot.” Veronica smiles. “I know.”

  
"He not your type?"

  
"No, not really." She meets Archie’s eyes again. Summer is now completely wasted and appears to have fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder.

  
"So then what happened?" Iris asks. Veronica moves her gaze off of him.

  
"I was going to visit my mom, in Memphis, and I practically forced Archie to go with me. I thought it would be good for him to get away from all the drama. We come from a _very_ small town. It’s remarkably hard to avoid exes." She begins, watching him move across the floor with a plastered Summer. ”We took his car and just... started driving. We spent some time with my mom and then we decided we didn’t want to go back. So we went on own little road trip and drove all over the country for a few weeks.”

  
The truth. It’ll probably be the easiest thing to remember. No, she corrects herself. Not the truth. They aren’t in love.

  
"And you fell in love?" Iris says, eyes sparkling.

  
Veronica swallows. "I guess so.” She says, smiling weakly.

  
"And this Betty girl, how did she take it?"

  
Veronica bites her lip, shaking her head. "Not well."

  
Iris scoffs. "Sounds to me like she missed her chance."  
…

  
"Did she throw up on you?" Iris asks excitedly when Archie finally makes his way back to her and Veronica.

 

"No. Thank God I left before that." He sighs, falling into the seat next to her.

 

"Veronica just told me how you two fell in love," Iris says with a vivacious smile.

 

Archie smiles politely at her and turns around, tries to catch Veronica’s eye, but she looks away before he has the chance.

 

"Hey." A man says, coming up behind Iris and pressing a kiss onto the top of her head. Veronica recognizes from earlier. He’s Iris’ fiancé, Charlie. He looks sweet– and rich. Exactly the type of person Veronica would’ve been interested in back when she lived in New York and her father owned half of Manhattan.

 

"Hi," Iris replies, peering up at him to meet his lips.

 

“You wanna dance?” He asks with a wink. “I told the band to play our song.”

 

Iris smiles, blushing. "I'm all partied out.” She says tiredly. “But Veronica might be up for it."

 

Charlie looks at her pointedly and Veronica smiles, getting out of her seat. “Always.”

 

"Great." Charlie chuckles, taking her hand.  
…

 

The Collins estate has its own lake. Veronica isn’t sure whether they’d built it in or if it’s natural. She's trying to determine which it is when she sits down on a hot green bench. The only thing she’s positive of is that she can feel the heat encompassing her, the bench they’re sitting on burning her skin. She wants to dip her feet into the cold water. She wants to jump in.

  
"You okay?" She asks, looking up at Archie. He looks more solemn than usual, as impossible as that seems.

  
"Yeah.” He breathes, turns to face her. "I just need some fresh air."

  
She nods. “Iris is great." It’s the only thing she can think of to say. She doesn’t remember silence ever feeling this heavy between the two of them.

  
"She seems really nice." Veronica nods. She doesn’t know what to do. She can tell something's changed; there’s a newfound tension she can't explain. She doesn’t understand it. Where it’s coming from, why they can’t be the same way they always are.

  
"Are you cold?" Archie asks. She shakes her head but he takes off his jacket anyway. Stands up and places it around her shoulders before sitting back down. It smells like him. “You told Iris about the road trip." He says softly. A statement. She’s not sure what to say, what he’s expecting to hear.

  
Veronica tilts her head to look at him. "Yeah. It just seemed easier."

  
"How?"

  
Veronica looks at him pointedly. "Easier than coming up with some story." She smiles half-heartedly. Archie shakes his head.

  
“No.” He says.

  
“What?”

  
“I don’t buy it, Ronnie.” She can feel her heart beating out of her chest. Wonders how that’s even possible. She looks away. Away from Archie. Away from the confusion or disappointment that’s probably in his eyes. “You’re good at lying. You made a couple in Nashville believe we were looking for your long-lost father, you made up a complete backstory for yourself, we lied about pretty much everything... but you can’t make up a love story?”

  
Veronica turns around, watches him carefully. He doesn’t look troubled. He’s looking at her, eyes wide and daring. She’s never seen him look at her like this before. She doesn’t know what to make of it. “Sarah and Jack were so easy, Archie.” She says softly. Her throat hurts from all the alcohol. “They were bored and they wanted to believe everything I said, so they did.” She sighs. “Iris never would’ve believed me if I said we’d both reached for the last carton of milk at the grocery store and then kissed in the middle of the aisle.”

  
"Why not?" He replies instantly. He’s staring at her so intensely that she has to turn away to blink. She can’t believe how defined his features look in the moonlight.

  
"Because," She starts shakily. “People like you don’t fall for people like me.”

  
The truth in it scares her more than anything else.

  
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Archie asks bluntly.

  
Veronica shakes her head. “Nothing.” Veronica stands up quickly and Archie’s jacket slips off of her shoulders onto the grass. Maybe they should go home now. Not to their guest room upstairs, but home. Riverdale.

  
She hadn’t even told him about what Jughead told her; that he and Betty broke up.

  
They could go home right now. If they did, they could just pretend like this voyage never happened. Betty’s single again. She and Archie could get back together, get another shot at that picture perfect life. Veronica could be the maid of honor, plan them a beautiful engagement party. Everything could go back to exactly the way it was before. Nothing has to change. They can still be Veronica and Archie and Betty and Jughead. Best friends.

  
"Who do people like me fall in love with?" He asks shakily, standing up. He lifts the jacket up and hands it back to her. Veronica takes it and slips her arms into it.

  
"People like Betty." She can tell by the look on Archie’s face that there’s no way he could possibly be over her. No, she’s always been there. She’ll always be there. Veronica wants to scream, mostly at herself. Archie looks hurt and Veronica sighs. "Sorry" she whispers. "I know you don’t want to... I shouldn't have brought her up."

  
"It's okay."

  
"No, I'm sorry.” She sighs, rubs the balls of her hand on her eyes. “I keep messing up."

  
"Veronica, you’re not messing anything up," Archie says, moving closer to her. "You're doing everything right." He leans in and kisses her. Soft and slow and he tastes like November; like hot chocolate on stormy evenings and crisp autumn air. And confused as she may be, Veronica kisses him back with the same fire. She runs her fingers through his hair and rests her hand on the back of his neck.

  
It’s everything. Fireworks and sparks and electricity running through her fingertips. It’s a wave of warmth that fills her, the feeling of Archie’s lips on hers and a shiver that rushes to every part of her.  
...

 

They make it upstairs with shaky breath and hands wrapped around each other, both of them wanting more. Needing more. Veronica is in such desperate need of this she isn’t even sure how they find their way back from the garden.

  
Archie twists the door handle open, still holding Veronica’s hand and leads her into their room. He locks the door behind them and tugs on Veronica’s hand, pulling her closer and pushing her up against it. His breath is on her lips, and she quivers at the warm sensation. She remembers kissing him before and how amazing it felt. Archie kisses her again, leaves a trail of kisses along her neck.

  
Veronica grasps onto his shirt and pulls it so that he’s pressed up against her, brings his lips to hers again. “Archie... I.” Veronica whimpers but Archie kisses her again and she can’t think straight anymore. He pulls back to unbutton his shirt and she finally catches her breath. Archie leans in again but she protests. “Wait.” She whispers, voice shaking. “Are you sure about this?”

  
She feels a wave of doubt wash over her and she closes her eyes as she waits for Archie to tell her 'no', that they should definitely stop before they do something they're going to seriously regret. He’d probably be right.

  
“Ronnie,” He whispers into her ear, gently presses a kiss to it. “I want this.” Veronica tries to look up at him, wonder what he's thinking- if he means it- and she opens her mouth to ask but his expression stops her. He is staring at her so hauntingly, his eyes filled with an emotion she doesn't understand at first glance, and she holds her breath in anticipation.

  
Archie half-smiles as he reaches up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear, and Veronica finally recognizes the look in his eyes as at the exact moment his lips fall on hers. Archie wraps his arms around her waist, deepening the kiss. Veronica cups his face in her hands as she sucks his bottom lip into her mouth. Archie walks over to the bed, and Veronica moves with him, keeping her lips locked with his. It‘s only a second, her dress falling to the ground and exposing her skin before she’s straddling him as he lays flat on his back. She kisses him. Desperately, steadily, finally.

  
Archie turns, shift so that Veronica is on her back and hovers over her, trailing kisses up her chest until he reaches her lips once more. Veronica moans into his mouth as his fingers skim across her breasts on their way down to her hips. "Archie," She gasps but doesn't tell him to stop.

  
Archie slips his tongue into her mouth again and her eyes shut as she loses herself in the kiss.

 

 

* * *

 

 

**_ii. today_ **

  

Archie rises with the sun, despite the fact that he couldn’t fall asleep until nearly three in the morning. Not that it’s anything new. He hasn't been sleeping well lately. Not since the night Veronica left; actually, not since the night they broke up— if that’s what that was.

  
He still can't believe Veronica is gone, that there's a chance she's not coming back. He can't wrap his head around the idea of her not being around. Not being in his life. She’s been such a big part of it for so long. One of the only constants he’s had for the last few years.

  
He keeps feeling like— keeps hoping— the past week and a half has all been some unearthly and unsettling nightmare. That he’ll wake up to Veronica tangled up in the sheets with him. He keeps waiting for it to happen. For something good to come out all of this... but it doesn’t. It’s not a dream and Veronica is a more than two thousand miles away.

  
In reality, he’s here, in bed with his ex: Archie places a pillow beside her and slides out of bed carefully, so as not to wake her. Seeing Betty lying in the space where Veronica should be only adds to the knot of guilt stuck in Archie's stomach.

  
Betty shouldn't be here. He knows that, but for some reason, he can't stop making the wrong choices. He started by making the stupidest decision of his life, and he hasn't stopped making these colossally bad ones since.

  
And it’s not like he doesn’t realize how completely messed up this entire thing is. Because he does. All he does is think about how messed up it is and how he’s disappointing everyone he cares about.

  
He vaguely remembers what happened last night. Remembers him and Betty having dinner with his dad, and heading over to Pop’s afterward. Remembers getting wasted in the backseat of his car with her. He thinks he remembers his dad slipping into his room an hour or so ago to tell him goodbye. That he just needed to get some things from the office and then he was leaving. He's got a job in Philly tomorrow.

  
Archie's so far gone now that he doesn't even know what his intent was in the first place. All he wanted was to prove that he could do it, that he could move on, could be happy without Betty. And he was. He has no idea how he ended up back where he was months ago. Archie treads carefully towards his dresser and slides open the top drawer. He pulls out a clean T-shirt and a clean pair of boxers from the second drawer.

  
Archie looks over to Betty, still sound asleep. He thinks she’ll probably sleep until well after lunch-time. Then, he goes into the bathroom to change his clothes. He brushes his teeth, runs his fingers carelessly through his bedhead and decides he looks presentable enough. He doesn't want to waste time with his look when today is the last day his dad will be here until the end of summer, and Archie's not sure whether his dad is even here still or if he's left for his Philly already.

  
But he needs to talk to him, he’s the only person Archie’s sure will know what to do. How to fix everything.

  
Archie jogs most of the way to the site. Ironically, it gives him a chance to catch his breath. He feels relief wash over him when he sees his dads truck parked outside the trailer. He'll be able to talk to him one last time before he leaves. He’ll know what to do. He walks up to the door and knocks on it, taking in a deep breath.

  
A full minute after knocking, the door is finally opened by a very bedraggled looking Jughead. "Archie," He says, slowly. "If you’re looking for your dad, he’s out back. He’ll be back any minute now if you want to wait.”

  
"Thank." Archie sighs. Jughead steps aside, gestures for him to come inside.

  
"What are you doing here?" Archie asks, sitting down on top of a desk. He can feel Jughead staring at him.

  
“My dad and I are going to head to Pop’s for lunch,” Jughead says, kicking something small around on the ground.

  
“Haven’t seen you all week,” Archie says. Jughead doesn’t look up.

  
“I’ve been busy.” He says, finally looking up. “So, what brings you to this humble abode at the crack of dawn this morning?" Jughead asks, sadistically.

  
"Nothing," Archie shakes his heads, sighs. “I, uh, I couldn't sleep, and I wanted to get my dad’s advice on something."

  
“Trouble in paradise?” Jughead asks bluntly, taking a seat.

  
“No.”

  
“Then you should be ecstatic.” Jughead laughs. “You got everything you wanted..”

  
"I know," Archie replies, understanding his confusion. He sucks in a deep breath. "But none of it matters without her here." Archie knows that Jughead knows everything that happened between them. Veronica had told him. She’d asked him to help her leave and she trusted him to keep her secret until after graduation.

  
They used to barely get along; Jughead and Veronica. Always getting on each other’s nerves, fighting every chance they got. Somehow Archie has driven her so far away that Jughead is the only person she thought she could talk to.

  
“What were you going to ask your dad?” Jughead asks, adjusting his jacket.

  
Archie sighs. “About her.”

  
Jughead laughs bitterly. “Sorry, you’re going to have be more specific than that, Arch.” He snaps. “You seem to have everyone falling in love with you these days.”

  
“Not everyone,” Archie says softly. Jughead laughs coldly.

  
“Dear God, Archie.” His face turns cold. “If you think she left for any other reason than because she was in love with you-you're even more of an idiot than I thought.” He snaps.

  
Archie stares at him silently. He doesn’t know what to say. He hopes it isn’t true because it’s the one thing he’s been dreading since she left. Because it that means it’s entirely his fault. There’s no hiding or sharing the blame or making up excuses. Because it means Veronica left because of him and only him. Deep down he’d still been hoping that it might be because she wanted to travel or the world, or live with her mom, or go to college, anything that made him feel like less of a jerk. He’d been praying to all that is that he hadn’t been single-handedly responsible for running the best part of his life out of town.

  
“Can I ask you something?” Jughead says softly. Archie nods. "Why are you with Betty, now that Veronica’s gone? Before, even. Why did you choose Betty if you want to be with Veronica?"

  
"I don't know," Archie admits, slumping down in one of the couches and pressing his hands to his face, "I was stupid. I was confused, and I thought..." Jughead watches Archie thinking. He sighs. "I think I convinced myself that what I was feeling for Veronica was just an accumulation for my feelings for Betty. That I had somehow forced myself to be in love with her, all to make me believe I moved on. I felt like I was being unfair to her because I knew how much she cared about me, and when Betty confronted me about it I knew I had to make a choice, so I did. And then I had to tell her the truth. I didn't want Veronica to get hurt. I really did think I was protecting her. I was wrong."

  
“As usual.”

  
“You’re not helping.”

  
“I wasn’t trying to.” Jughead says. “You messed up.” He grabs a bottle of water from the desk and opens it, taking a few sips from it while Archie moves around anxiously. “You knew you hurt her afterward, Archie. Why the hell did you think you should still be with Betty? Why didn’t you try and fix things before she left?”

  
“You’re one to talk.” Archie scoffs, getting out of his seat.

  
“What?!”

  
“She came to you,” Archie says softly, coming to a halt in front of him. “She told you she was leaving and you never said anything to me. I could’ve stopped her-“

  
“ _How_?” Jughead snaps. “By inviting her to have lunch with you and Betty in the cafeteria? In case you missed it that didn’t go over so well the first time.”

 

"I tried, Jug. I tried to fix things.” Archie sighs. “She asked me to stay away from her," Archie replies in annoyance, "She told me she needed time. I wanted to respect her wishes. She's the one who told me to be with Betty. She said it's what I really want and what Betty really wants, so I should just do it."

  
Jughead can't help but chuckle. Archie glares at him. “Sorry.” He mumbles. “But this is Veronica we’re talking about. It’s called a test, Archie. Which you, unfortunately, you failed.”

 

"Obviously," Archie mutters, feeling like more of an idiot with each second that passes. Even Jughead, who has never been in a long-term relationship and never talks about dating or seeing anyone ever, knows more about her thoughts and feelings than he does. Archie never thought of himself as one of those clueless idiots who knows nothing about women...but he's starting to wonder if maybe he does fall into that category.  
....

 

“How is she?” Archie asks nervously. They’re sitting together in a booth at Pop’s for what feels like the first time in months. Jughead looks at him pointedly and Archie sighs. “You’re talking to her, right?”

  
Jughead nods.

  
Archie’s known this all along. Well, he’d been suspecting it, anyway. He knows Jughead and he knows that even if he and Veronica weren’t the closest he’d still check up on her to make sure she’s okay. “Is she coming back?”

  
He’s been dreading the answer to this question since he found out she left. Hoping that it’s not what he thinks it is.

  
“I don’t know,” Jughead says earnestly.

  
Archie sighs in relief. At least it’s not a ‘no’. “Do you know where she is?” Jughead stays silent. “I just want to talk to her. She won’t return any of my calls.”

  
“Her phone’s broken.”

  
“What happened?”

  
“Bump on the road.” Jughead snorts with a laugh. He takes a sip of his milkshake while Archie stares at him confused but he doesn’t say anything. Still, Archie’s sure that she must know he’s been trying to talk to her. She’s probably talked to Cheryl about it by now. He can only hope that Cheryl told her how much he’s missing her and that he wants her to come back. That he needs her here.

  
“Look, Archie,” Jughead begins. “ _If_ and when she’s ready, I’m sure she’ll reach out to you.”

 

“And if she isn’t?” She has every right not to be. He wouldn’t blame her. Jughead sighs, shrugging. “I know. I know that I messed up, Jug.” Archie tells him. “I just...” He trails off.

  
“You what?”

  
“I love her,” Archie says. He realizes how big the diner feels without her here. How empty it is. “I’m in love with her.”

  
“She just needs time.” Jughead breathes. He leans against the window and rests his head on it.

  
“It’s already been a week.”

  
“What did u expect, Archie?” Jughead says, shaking his head. “ Did you think she’d leave for a few days and come back ready to be with you and forget everything that’s happened. You hurt her Archie.” He pauses hesitantly. “You hurt me too.”

  
“That’s not fair.” Archie snaps, standing up. “You and Betty...”

  
“Nothing,” Jug says, pauses, biting his tongue. “Nothing happened between me and Betty until long after you two had broken up.”

 

Archie sighs, dropping his head. He takes a deep breath and sits back down in his seat. “God what happened to us, Jug.” Jughead stares at him blankly. “The four of us used to be inseparable. We were great. And now... me and you, me and Ronnie... and Betty.” He sighs. “How do I fix this?”

  
“Which part?” Jughead grabs a fry from his plate and eats it.

  
“All of it.”

  
“I don’t know,” Jughead says. “You can’t fix it all overnight. It’s harder now than it would’ve been a few months ago.”

  
“Why?” Archie asks, rubbing the palm of his head against his forehead.

  
“Because you broke her heart. “  
...

 

“You’re in love with Veronica.” It's a statement, not a question. Her expression is carefully blank and Archie forces himself to keep indifferent. He can’t read her face and for some reason, that makes him even more nervous than if she were to be outwardly angry.

  
“Betty?” She's sitting a little stiffly, glances up at him tensely, and he can see the unease in her gaze. He runs his hand through his hair.

  
“Why didn’t you tell me you were in love with her?” She asks, playing with the hem of her sweater.

  
“I-“

  
“It’s okay,” she interrupts him. “Cheryl told me.” She links her hands together. “You didn’t answer my question.” She says softly. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Betty looks down at her hands folded in her lap for a second, and Archie tries to gauge her expression, but Betty has somehow become a master at hiding how she feels when she wants to.

  
“I don’t know.”

  
“Is that why she left?” She whispers.

  
“ _Yes_.”

 

“Oh.”

  
“Betty.” It's the only thing he can really think to say because he's really confused by her reaction. He had honestly expected her to be raging mad. In hindsight, he realizes that maybe that's a testament to the fact that maybe he doesn't know her as much as he thought he did. The worst part is that he knows Betty will forgive him eventually.

  
He doesn't know if he'll forgive himself any time soon for hurting her. For hurting Veronica.

  
“Does she know that we’re broken up?” She asks, clearing her throat. She doesn’t. They barely made it three days after Veronica left.

  
“Are we still broken up?”

  
“Yes.”

  
“Last night-“ He starts, but Betty cuts him off.

  
“We crashed on your bed, Arch.” She grins, shaking her head. “Nothing even happened.”

  
“I don’t think she knows,” Archie says.

  
She nods. “Look, Archie, I love you, okay? You’re my best friend in the world.” She pulls the sleeve of her sweater over her hand. “But I’m not in love with you anymore and you’re not in love with me either.“

  
“I’m sorry.”

 

“Me too.” Archie sits down beside her and she rests her head on his shoulder.

  
“Are you going to tell her?” She whispers, tilting her head up to look at him. “That we broke up.”

  
“I’m trying to.”

 


	7. part 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It all comes back in flashes; tiny fractions of memory each telling him something new. Something familiar. The road trip, the motels, the wedding, the dancing, sitting outside by the lake... Veronica. He can feel her next to him. Her fingers interlaced with his, her head on his chest. He has no idea how he didn’t notice it sooner. Notice her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * if you’d like to chat with me about this fic or varchie or just.. anything in general, you can find me on tumblr @veronicasloddge !!
> 
> Enjoy :)

_**ii. 2 months ago** _

 

When Archie opens his eyes the next morning, for a second everything is blurry. He can’t remember where he is or how he got here. The walls aren’t the same deep blue as his bedroom and there’s a chandelier on the ceiling he can’t remember seeing before.

 

It all comes back in flashes; tiny fractions of memory each telling him something new. Something familiar. The road trip, the motels, the wedding, the dancing, sitting outside by the lake... Veronica. He can feel her next to him. Her fingers interlaced with his, her head on his chest. He has no idea how he didn’t notice it sooner. Notice her.

 

The smell of her hair fills the air around him. It’s intoxicating. Memories of the night before flood his brain. All at once. Aftershocks of everything they did and everything he let himself feel in the silence and the darkness of her room, flickers of her lips all over him.

 

He slept with Veronica. He _slept_ with Veronica. As many times as he thinks it, as many times as he whispers it to himself, it doesn’t feel real. Even when he closes his eyes and he can see her, in all her glory, looking up at him, whispering his name in a way that makes his heart stop beating altogether. It still feels like a dream. One he hasn’t yet woken up from– because somehow she’s still here. He can feel her skin, warm and soft, against his own. If he keeps his eyes shut he can feel her breathing, her chest rising and falling every time she does.

 

Slowly and reluctantly, Archie opens his eyes. She’s right there. She looks beautiful. He blinks, closes his eyes, expecting her to disappear when he opens them again. She doesn’t. Streaks of sunlight shine through the window and obscure his vision.

 

Shit.

  
He slept with Veronica. Veronica his best friend. Veronica, the only person he needs. The only person he hasn't disappointed. There’s no way they can pretend this didn’t happen. It’s a line they can’t un-cross. He can feel his heart racing, the realization set in.

 

Shit.

 

It's something to add to the list of things he’s managed to destroy.  
…

 

He has a bag packed when Veronica opens her eyes. He’s sitting on the foot of the bed waiting for her to notice him, to say something. She doesn’t. Her eyes drift over him with a sleepy grin and she meets his gaze, stares at him expectantly.

 

Archie can't move. Veronica sits upright with her back pressed against the headboard, clutching the sheet to her body. “Morning.” She says softly, still staring at him.

 

"I need to leave.” Archie has no idea where the words come from, tries to stop them even as they’re coming out of his mouth but he can’t. It feels like he’s stepped out of his body and there’s nothing he can do besides sit back and watch himself destroy this even more.

 

"What?" She swallows, tilting her head up at him. The little smile she had has faded away. Archie shifts his gaze off her, towards the empty can of soda on the floor from the day before.

 

"I'm going to visit some family." Veronica follows his eyes to the bag standing next to hers. He wants to punch himself in the face.

 

"You’re kidding, right?" She scoffs, getting off the bed.

 

He feels frozen, stuck in place. And yet somehow he still sees himself picking up his bag and moving towards the door. “I’ll be back in...” He lowers his head, tries to meet her eyes but she isn’t looking at him anymore. “A couple of days.” Archie clears his throat. “The Collins probably won’t mind if you stay here in the meantime.”

 

Veronica turns to face him, nodding. He lips are pressed into a thin line. He wishes she would say something. Wishes she would ask him to stay because he really really wants to.

 

But she doesn’t say anything and he shuts the door behind himself on the way out.  
…

 

"Archie?" Archie hasn’t heard his voice in weeks. For a second, he allows himself to miss home, miss their booth at Pop's and the closest thing he's ever had to a brother.

 

"Yeah,” Archie says dryly. He hears Jughead sigh.

 

"I've been trying to call you for w-" Jughead begins but Archie cuts him off.

 

"Stop talking."

 

"What?"

 

"Just... for a minute." Archie sighs. He's got the car pulled over on the side of the road. He thought he’d be able to make it to at least the next town before this happened but he feels like he’s going to detonate if he doesn’t talk about it. And there’s no way he can go back, no way he can face Veronica until he knows what the hell he’s doing.

 

Instead, he’s sitting on the side of the road in the middle of a downpour with no idea where he is or where he’s going. Veronica’s CD makes a soft whirring sound as it switches from one track to the next.

 

"What is it?" Jughead asks, his voice lacking its usual sarcastic drawl.

 

"I need to talk to you about something," Archie says calmly, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel, trying to ignore the lump in his throat.

 

“Betty?” Jughead asks.

 

“No,” Archie says, almost instantly. "Not Betty. I don't want to talk about Betty. "

 

"Okay," Jughead says slowly.

 

"I’m only calling because there’s no one else I can talk to about this." Archie sighs, shaking his head. A car speeds past him, and its driver honks the horn a few times for good measure.

 

Jughead stays silent while Archie clears his throat, figures out how he’s going to start this. “I did something stupid.” He starts.

 

"Dude, I don’t think you’re supposed to confess to murder over the phone." Jughead jokes.

 

"Jug,” Archie stops him.  


"Arch, whatever it is you did it can't be that bad," Jughead says, trying to reassure Archie. It doesn’t do anything to help with how uneasy he’s feeling.

 

"I slept with Veronica."

 

"Woah," Jughead says slowly.

 

Archie hides his face in his hands, before slamming his fist into the dashboard.

 

"Honestly, Archie.” Jughead answers, “I don't really see the issue." He says. "Sometimes people get drunk and mess up. It doesn't have to mean anything."

 

"I wasn't drunk." Jughead stays silent for a few seconds. Archie can’t decide whether he wants to drive further away or drive back.

 

"Well, you two have spent a lot of time together. And you’ve always had that weird flirtation thing going on. Is it really that absurd that this is where you ended up?"

 

"I don’t know." Yes. He never should’ve let things get this far. He never should’ve let himself...

 

"Where is she now?"

 

"Back in town... where I left her." He tries to defend himself, mutters something along the lines of ‘it’s not as bad as it sounds’ but it is. It’s worse.

 

"Damn." Jughead sighs. “And where are you?”

 

"I don't really know. I've been driving for five hours." He can’t seem to stop. Jughead doesn’t say anything. This was probably a really bad idea. What the hell does Jughead know about relationships anyway?

 

He clears his throat. "You panicked?" Jughead asks carefully.

 

"Yes."

 

"Why?" Archie leans his head back against the headrest. The next track starts playing and he shuts off the radio. Pulls the CD out and tosses it onto the backseat.

 

His limbs ache from sitting still for so long. "I ruined it."

 

"Ruined what?" Jughead asks, but Archie’s sure he already knows the answer.

 

"The only good thing I had."

 

"Archie...” Jughead trails off.

 

"I did.” He sighs. “I'm always happy when I'm with her. And now I... I screwed it up."

 

"Archie, you didn’t ruin it... Maybe you can just act like it didn't happen. I mean, if it didn't mean anything…" He trails off. Archie stares at the rain pelting against the window. He hates himself. He hates that he did this. "Or... Did it mean something?" Jughead asks.

 

"No," Archie says, backtracking instantly. “Yes. I don’t know.” He wants to hang up now, needs some time to think. He feels exhausted.

 

"Look, Archie, about…" No. It’s too early in the day for this.

 

"Don't.” Archie cuts him off again. “Not now. I need to go."

 

"When are you coming home?" Jughead asks. Archie almost tells him he isn’t just to spite him. But he doesn’t feel like listening to Jughead ask him to stay. He doesn’t feel like talking to anyone that isn’t Veronica right now and he can’t talk to her because he has no idea what he’d say.

 

He wonders what she’s doing right now. If she wanted him to stay. If she would’ve smiled brightly at him when she woke up had he not been ready to run. She might have leaned over and kissed him and he might have lost himself in the sensation.

 

"I don't know if I am."  
…

  
For the record, this isn’t how he planned on the day going. No, when he woke up this morning stupefied by the sight of Veronica in his arms, with memories of the night before all over his skin, he had no intention of leaving her behind.

 

He climbed out of bed and went downstairs, made himself a cup of coffee before he’d even processed the night before. They’d been in Paradise Valley for almost a week and Archie thought maybe it was time for a change in scenery.

 

He threw all his belongings into his bag and then carefully tucked all of Veronica’s into hers. And that’s how he accidentally stumbled on a folded up picture she had in her bag; her and Betty on the first day of senior year. He remembered taking that picture. Remembered how happy they were. All of them.

 

And everything went straight to Hell from there.

 

He ends up halfway to Chicago. Not to see his mom. Not yet. His cousin, Zack, lives in an apartment on the outskirts of Illinois. He owns and runs a bar there.

 

An alert pops up on his phone. Three missed calls from Betty and one from his dad. None from Veronica. He doesn’t blame her.

 

His head hurts and his eyes are drifting shut so he pulls over at the next gas station for a cup of coffee and a new CD.  
…

 

Archie keeps driving for hours on end. He stops for gas, but nothing else. He drives so far that it’s not until he sees a sign that says “Thank you for visiting Illinois” that he realizes that he’s driven way further than he needed to.

 

So he circles back toward the city. As much as he doesn’t feel like visiting Zack, it’s the only healthy alternative. It’s better than aimlessly driving around in the downpour. At least, he has a goal. A destination. Somewhere else he needs to be.

 

The CD he bought is still sitting unopened in the empty seat beside him. And Veronica’s mix— the one she’d somehow managed to compile in the three days between him telling her that he’d join her and them leaving Riverdale— is playing again. They haven’t been in the car for so many days that it felt strange when it started playing at first like nothing had changed. But everything’s changed and Archie still has no idea how he feels about any of it.

 

_She broke down and let me in_  
_Made me see where I've been_

 

There’s a small voice in the back of his head that’s telling him he already knows how he feels about it but he’s choosing to ignore it for now.

 

He recognizes the song playing from the first day they were on the road. Back when the lyrics meant something entirely different to him. It feels like every word has changed and it means something new.

 

_Been down one time_

_Been down two times_

_I'm never going back again_

 

Archie thinks that he’s going to be sick. 

…

 

"Archie Andrews," Zack says, swinging open the door. "Didn’t think I’d be seeing you anytime soon.” Archie grins feebly. Zack reaches over and grabs Archie’s bag, welcoming him in. He places the bag next to a small table near the front door.

 

"Zack." Archie greets him. Zack pulls him in for an awkward hug.

 

“Make yourself at home,” Zack says, and Archie follows him to the living room. There are three other people in the room. Archie recognizes them from a picture his cousin posted a while ago. “These are my roommates,” Zack informs him.

 

“Scott, Izzy, and Nat.“

 

"What brings you to this part of town?" Scott asks. His dark hair reminds Archie a little of Jughead.

 

"Needed a change of scenery.” Archie half-lies.

 

"Tired of that small town of yours?" Izzy asks. She looks like someone Veronica would like. Maybe if he somehow manages to redeem himself after this disaster he’ll bring her here.

 

"Something like that." Archie sits down on a red sofa and rests his head back. He learns that Scott, Izzy, Nat, and Zack have lived together for almost four years in the same bright and isolated building. Nat offers him a cup of coffee with a smile on her face. Archie politely declines. He needs to sleep, feels like if he doesn’t he might collapse.

 

She walks over to Scott and kisses him. Archie catches a glimpse of the ring on her finger and it reminds him of the one he’s wearing. It’s still sitting on his left ring finger. Archie stares at it, everything it stood for one fleeting moment, and removes it, placing it on his right hand again.  
…

 

“Andrews.”

 

Archie’s woken by the sound of his phone blaring through the empty living room. He almost falls off the couch trying to grab it. "Reggie?" Archie questions, surprised. He can’t remember the last time he had a one on one conversation with Reggie that wasn’t about football. He didn’t even know that Reggie had his number.

 

"Hey, man,” Reggie says. Archie yawns quietly, sitting up on the couch he‘d been using as a bed. Turns out when you unexpectedly show up to an apartment with three bedrooms and four tenants, you end up sleeping on the couch.

 

“Hey,” Archie’s still confused. He climbs off the couch, pushing the blanket Izzy had given him to the side. “What’s up?” It’s just past noon and he still feels drained.  


“Nothing,” Reggie mumbles distractedly. He clears his throat. “I, uh... I spoke to Veronica yesterday.”

 

“Oh.” That wakes him up.

 

Reggie and Veronica; another one of her relationships Archie would never understand. He has no idea how that happened. They’d both gone to New York the summer after sophomore year for an internship for the same magazine. Veronica had an opportunity to work in the fashion department and Reggie... honestly, Archie isn’t actually sure what Reggie was doing but he was there. And somehow the two of them became friends. They came back the summer after that closer than ever. Archie was sure that they were in a relationship but both Reggie and Veronica had denied it countless times.

 

A few weeks later, school started and Veronica and Reggie barely saw each other. But they stayed friends. He'd never thought much about it.

 

Apparently, they were a lot closer than he assumed.

 

"She was really upset." Archie feels even more guilty. He never should’ve left her. He never should’ve done any of the things he did. No matter how much he wanted to... he never should have. He shouldn't have abandoned her in the smallest of small towns. Because for all that it sounds like, Paradise Valley is, in reality, a run-down town with a few good spots. He feels sick.

 

Archie doesn’t know what to say.

 

Reggie clears his throat again."Look, I know you guys are friends or whatever and you care about her but I also really care about her."

 

"I know" Archie begins, but Reggie cuts him off.

 

"I don’t know what you fought about and I really don’t care... but she needs you, man. And you need to go back. After everything she’s done for you, you owe her that.”

 

Archie bites his lip. Reggie’s right. "It's not that easy.” He says, detached, tries to make it sound like something it isn’t.

 

"Like hell,” Reggie scoffs. Archie sits down at the kitchen table and rests his head in the palm of his hands, placing his phone on the counter. “What did you two fight about that’s so bad anyway?”

 

Archie swallows. "Nothing" he murmurs.

 

"Right.” Reggie deadpans. He laughs bitterly and Archie ends the call. He stands up and walks back to his makeshift bed, lying down again.

 

It’s already been three days since he left. He wishes it were that easy.  
…

  
Thank God for Scott and Nat, Archie thinks multiple times over the few days that he spends in their cramped apartment. They had unceremoniously taken him under their wing. Nat assures him that it’s because they‘d love to show him around the town. Archie can tell it’s because she pities him.

 

Izzy is currently completing a course at a culinary school nearby and so they eat three courses for breakfast lunch and dinner everday. It tastes wonderful every time. Archie had no idea how much he’d missed having a home-cooked meal. Since Nashville, all he and Veronica had eaten was fast food and different types of sugar.

 

When the weather eventually clears up, they all go out to the lake for a day. At night, they play cards and drink beer on the patio. Archie really isn’t enjoying all the attention and the coddling. At least they don’t ask about Veronica. He is especially thankful for that. It gives him a chance to pretend that he hasn’t completely obliterated the single most important relationship in his life.

 

Because at night, when everyone retreats to their respective rooms and Archie’s left alone with his thoughts and the noise of the ceiling fan, it’s all he thinks about. He’s used to spending the night alone, his dad would always work late when he had a big project. But this is different, Archie feels _lonely_. He feels like he hasn’t managed to do anything right in the last few months and he can’t blame anyone but himself. He feels alone and he misses _her_.

 

It’s been almost a week. He’s gone from being around her every minute of the day, sharing a room and car and this temporary lifestyle they’d adopted, to nothing. It hurts. And it hurts even more that he left. He still can’t pinpoint the exact reason that he did it. He has an idea; he assumed Veronica might've wanted something more and he can’t go there with her, can’t risk losing her.

 

But it’s more than that. He knows it, tries to pretend like he doesn’t but it’s past midnight and she’s all he can think about. Maybe, just maybe, he’s the one who wants something more. And if he does it would ruin everything. Things would never be the same between them again.

 

Not that it’s something he has to worry about now, she’ll probably never speak to him again. He left her.  
....

 

Zack sits down next to Archie. He’s got two girls with him, one on either side. Which Archie’s, unfortunately, come to learn is not unusual. He’s too confused and embarrassed to think anything of it. He knows if Veronica were here she’d definitely get a few good laughs out of it.

 

"Ladies," Zack drawls. The girls hang on to every word he says. "Meet our guest, Archie."

 

Archie smiles. The girls’ follow Zack’s gaze to Archie, their eyes twinkling.

 

"Hi.” The brunette says, her eyes drifting over Archie. "I'm Amy."

 

Archie nods. The girl, Amy, has already re-focused her attention on Zack. She‘s biting her lip and she looks like she wants to be somewhere else.

 

Archie thinks of Ryan at the bar, who’d drunkenly flirted with Veronica right before Archie kissed her. He feels something burning in the back of his throat when he remembers the feeling of watching Veronica kiss him. And then of course- because this is all some sick joke that he just happens to be the punchline of- he thinks of Reggie.

 

Reggie who’s swooped in when everything's falling apart like some kind of freaking knight in shining armor. Who does he think he is? He has no place in any of this. It isn’t his place. And why had Veronica been so quick to tell him everything? He had nothing to do with this. Just because he “really cares about her” doesn’t mean that he has the right to get involved in it.

 

"You look like fun." Amy deadpans, rolling her eyes. She rests her head on Zack’s shoulder.

 

"Archie’s always been the brooding type." Zack sneers. Archie rolls his eyes. He isn’t in the mood for this. He‘s not in the mood for any of this. Especially not Zack.

 

"Excuse me." He murmurs, getting up. He hears Zack let out an affronted huff as he leaves, but he doesn’t care.

 

"Not enjoying yourself, Archie?" Izzy asks him in the kitchen. He remembers meeting her once before when his mom had just moved to Chicago.

 

"No, sorry." Archie sighs, he’s about to walk away when he realizes he has nowhere to go.

 

Izzy pats his arm comfortingly. “Is it about that girl?” She asks with a soft smile.

 

"What girl?" Archie asks.

 

"Your friend..." Izzy says, biting her bottom lip. “Sorry. I can’t remember her name, but last time I saw you-you were miserable and in love with her.”

 

"Oh," Archie mumbles, shaking his head. "No, this isn't about her."

 

Izzy nods. She probably thinks he’s lying. Archie’s grateful she doesn’t ask more about it.  
…

  
He tries calling Veronica for the first time in a week. It’s been exactly six days and twelve hours since he left. He feels like shit.

 

The line rings eleven times and she doesn’t answer so Archie hangs up. He puts his phone down and falls back onto the couch. He has no idea why he’s waited so long.

 

His phone starts ringing and he picks it up without a second of hesitation. “Ronnie?”

 

“I’m going to pick her up in Memphis.” Archie winces at the sound of Reggie’s voice. He really wishes he’d stay the hell out of this.

 

“What?” Archie shakes his head. He can’t define his anger against Reggie. Can’t think of one single reason why it’s burning his skin thinking about Veronica calling him for help. He doesn’t want him anywhere near Veronica. “No," Archie says feebly.

 

"Yeah," Reggie says, sounding confused and stern at the same time. "She said she’s taking a bus in the morning. I'm picking her up in Memphis. I just called to tell you that you don't have to worry about her anymore."

 

Archie hears something else in his tone. It makes him recoil.

 

_As if you would._

 

"I'll bring her home," Archie says slowly.

 

"Andrews, she's really upset."

 

“I know.” Archie mumbles, slamming his empty fist against the coffee table. The coffee in his mug ripples. Archie sighs. “Look, did she tell you what happened?"

 

"No.”

 

"So just stay out of it.” Archie snaps. It comes out more tired than demanding. “Please. I‘ll go back and pick her up in the morning. I'll bring her home.”

 

The line is silent for a few seconds. Archie thinks he might’ve hung up. "Okay," Reggie says softly.

 

Archie swallows. He feels sick and slightly annoyed. And he‘s not even sure why. "I know you're just looking out for her, but I‘ll fix this, okay?”

 

"Okay," Reggie repeats. Archie hangs up. He leans against the wall and struggles to catch his breath.

 

He’s going to take Veronica back. He’s going home.  
....           

 

* * *

 

 

**_ii. today_ **

 

 

“I’ve been a horrible friend.” The stillness of her voice takes Veronica by surprise. She sounds different.

 

“Betty?” Veronica asks softly, sitting down. “ What are you talking about?”

 

“Everything.” She replies. “I know about you and Archie.”

 

Veronica almost wants to burst out laughing. She can’t believe this is what her life has come to. It feels like she’s living out one of the telenovelas her mother would watch, lounging on the couch in the den.

 

“You should’ve told me,” Betty says, with an unwavering conviction.

 

Veronica opens her mouth to say something, but all that comes out is a feeble “I know.” She wraps her fingers around the phone’s wire, wishes she could move it from the desk over to the bed so she could— at the very least— lie down and wallow. She really needs to get herself a new phone. “Are you mad?”

 

“No,” Betty answers too quickly. Veronica wonders, for what feels like the millionth time, how different things would’ve been if she’d never taken Archie with her. If she’d just gone to Memphis for a week and then back to Riverdale.

 

Archie and Betty would probably be back together. She probably wouldn’t feel like shit. “Because you have every right to be,” Veronica whispers.

 

"I'm not mad, V!" She exclaims. "Is that why you left?” Her voice breaks. “Because of me?”

 

“No,” Veronica replies instantly, feels her eyes starting to sting. “No. Of course not.”

 

“Because of Archie?”

 

She wants this to be easier. All of it. She wants to not feel like she’s leaving behind everything that’s ever mattered to her. “Yes.” She breathes. “But also because of me. I need a fresh start.”

 

“I’m sorry, Veronica.”

 

“Me too.” She says softly. 

 

“I have to say,” Betty starts. She sounds anxious. Or maybe that’s just Veronica. “I really wish you would’ve told me. I could’ve saved us all some heartache.” She pauses hesitantly and Veronica distractedly tugs on the sleeve of her sweater. “Archie and I broke up.”

 

“Oh.” She murmurs, swallows the lump in the back of her throat.

 

“Yeah he-“ Betty begins but Veronica cuts her off, shaking her head.

 

“Can we not talk about Archie, please?” She mumbles.

 

“Of course,” Betty says warmly. Veronica can picture her sitting in her room, a smile on her face, glancing out of her window into Archie’s room. “So, how’s L.A?“  
....

 

“He was... incredible.” Veronica finishes with a devilish grin.

 

“Too much.” Betty mumbles, shuddering. “Spare me the details.”

 

“Please,” Veronica drawls. “The details are the best part.”

 

“Are you going to see him again?” It’s something she’s been going back and forth on for the past two days. The card he left her is still sitting on the counter. All she’d have to do is pick up the phone.

 

“I thought I might,” Veronica says, picking up it up, the edges are folded over. “But I don’t think I want to. I think one good ephemeral evening was enough.”

 

“L.A. sounds wonderful, V,” Betty says with a laugh. Veronica has never been this excited to hear her laugh.

 

“Yeah, it is.” She loves it here. Loves the people and the colors and all the possibilities.

 

“Are you-“

 

“Coming home?” Veronica interrupts. Betty doesn’t say anything, just mumbles a quiet ‘Mhmm’ as confirmation. “I don’t know yet. Please don’t try and convince me to come home... I’m not ready yet.”

 

“I wasn’t going to.” Veronica laughs. “Fine.” Betty sighs. “I won’t. Just be safe okay?”

 

“When am I not?” Her laughter dies down but she feels buzzed. She had no idea how much she needed this conversation. How much she’d been missing her best friend. “I miss you.”

 

“I miss you too, V.”  
...

  
Veronica spends the next day with Toni. At a party in some fashionable millennial mansion with just enough alcohol to help her have a good time. When it’s over and there’s nothing but confetti and inflatable chairs floating in the pool, the two of them barely make it back to the car before they dissolve into a fit of laughter. “So,” Toni says with a smirk. “You and board shorts looked like you were having some fun back there?”

 

“Please,” Veronica laughs, tucking her hair behind her ears. “He's cute, but just a distraction.” Toni nods, pressing her lips into a thin line. Veronica takes a moment to soak in the two of them. It's just past dusk and they're both wasted. (When she finally decides what she's going to do, where she's going, her liver is going to need some serious rehabilitation). “Yeah.” She mumbles. “There’s no way we’re driving anywhere like this.”

 

“Good call,” Toni says, pulls out her phone and calls them a cab. She climbs out of the car and Veronica follows her cautiously. Toni laughs and Veronica looks at her questioningly. “Did you ever think back when we were on Park Avenue that we’d end up here?”

 

“You mean you never imagined you waitressing at a bar?”

 

“I meant not in an Ivy League school as a direct result of our parents... but yeah, your stuff, too.” Toni smiles. Veronica takes a seat on the cold pavement and Toni joins her. “And at least we’ve got this place going for us. The city of Angels.”

 

“Yeah, I’m not so sure about that one.” Veronica sighs. “I don’t think this hotel is agreeing with me.”

 

“Of course not.” Toni rolls her eyes. Veronica smiles.

 

“Maybe I’ll go to San Diego.”

 

“Oh my god,” Toni says, her face lighting up as she starts excitedly slapping Veronica’s shoulder.

 

“What?”

 

“I can’t believe I didn’t think of this sooner,” Toni says, Veronica is still waiting for an explanation. “My roommate left for Michigan last weekend. She won’t be back until the fall. You should take her room!”

 

“Toni are you serious?” Veronica says eagerly. “ That would be incredible.”

 

“Of course.” Toni smiles. “Anything for my girl, Ronnie.”

 

Veronica smiles. She can't believe things are finally looking up. It finally feels like a fresh start. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I’m so sorry *dodges tomatoes* I'm sure this isn't at all what you were expecting after the last chapter but I promise EVERYTHING is going to be looking up from the next chapter! I hope you guys stick around..
> 
> As always, I'd love to hear what you guys think of this chapter!


	8. part 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Veronica nods humorously like she knew he was going to say it. "What's the point?" She asks, her voice laced with something he’s never heard before. Not from her. 
> 
> "What's the point of what?"
> 
> "You and me.” She says coldly, swallows a deep breath. “Because I’ve been wracking my brain for almost a week now and... I don't get it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy :)

_**i. roughly 2 months ago** _

 

****

  
The drive back goes by much faster than Archie had initially anticipated. He doesn’t stop for anything, drives all the way back, barely has time to figure out an apology that will encompass everything he wants to say before he’s there. In Paradise Valley, knocking on the mahogany door of the Birch mansion.

 

The lady that opens the door looks familiar. He thinks he might’ve met her at the wedding. Iris. "Archie!" She exclaims with a bright smile, wrapping her arms around him. “You’re here!” Archie smiles weakly when she pulls back to look at him. He’s tired as hell after driving all night and there’s really no one he wants to talk to besides Veronica right now.

 

She steps aside and Archie follows her into the mansion. "Is Veronica here?” Archie asks anxiously. He’s barely had a chance to catch his breath. “I tried the guest house already but she wasn’t there."

 

Archie catches Iris absentmindedly twisting the ring on her finger. She looks younger than she did at the wedding. The light of day and her gray hoodie, worn out jeans, are making her skin glow.

 

"Charlie drove her to the station just a few minutes ago." She answers, searching his face carefully.

 

"Shit.” Archie mumbles, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Do you know when her bus is leaving?”

 

She checks her watch."Nineteen minutes."

 

"Thanks," Archie says hastily, steps out of the house onto the porch and tries to close the door but Iris stops him. She holds it open while Archie waits.

 

"Veronica told me,” She says softly. Archie doesn’t understand. He gives her a pointed look. “About the wedding crashing.” She laughs. “That you were pretending to be married."

 

"She did?" Archie asks. Iris nods slowly.

 

"I think you broke her heart." She whispers. Archie stops dead in his tracks. The nerve-wracking stress he’d been feeling for the past week is suddenly replaced by mind-numbing pain. The last thing he _ever_ wanted was to hurt Veronica.

 

She’s right, he knows she is. He’s known it this whole time.

 

He needs to catch Veronica before she leaves.  
…

 

Archie spots her immediately, sitting on an empty bench just outside the station. He parks his car across the street, fumbles around with the keys because he can’t seem to get the goddamn doors to lock. When he finally does she’s already walking into the station, lugging her bag around behind her. He still has the other one in the trunk of his car.

 

Archie starts moving faster, trying to catch up to her, but he slows down again once she stops on the platform, her back to him.

 

"Veronica," He says softly, stepping toward her. _Veronica_. Not Ronnie, not when they’re this broken. She doesn’t stir. “Veronica,” he repeats, with more conviction.

 

She turns to face him. Her face is hard, something he’d never seen before. Not when she fought with her mother or yelled at her father or ever. "I'm going home,” she says. The wind blows through her hair, she tucks it behind her ears.

 

"I'll take you," He whispers.

 

Veronica shakes her head. "No," she says, clearing her throat. "I need to be alone.” She lets out a detached, bitter laugh. “Actually, that’s not true. I'm going home to avoid being alone. I just don’t want to be around you right now."

 

Archie takes another step forward, Veronica instinctively taking one back. "I shouldn't have left.” He lowers his head. “I'm sorry."

 

Veronica nods humorously like she knew he was going to say it. "What's the point?" She asks, her voice laced with something he’s never heard before. Not from her.

 

"What's the point of what?"

 

"You and me.” She says coldly, swallows a deep breath. “Because I’ve been wracking my brain for almost a week now and... I don't get it."

 

“I...” Archie’s surprised at the gravity of her words. He has no idea what to say, how to fix this- them.

 

_I think I might be in love with you which is unfortunate because I happen to ruin everything I love._

 

It’s true. His mom. Betty. Jughead. Even his dad.

 

Now her.

 

“You what, Archie??” She shouts, folds her arms in front of her chest.

 

“I...” Archie sighs. She’s the only good thing in his life. "You're my best friend."

 

“Yeah,” Veronica scoffs. “They broke up.” She says suddenly, running a hand through her hair. “Betty and Jughead. Weeks ago.”

 

He closes his eyes. It feels like that airs been knocked out of his lungs. They broke up. Why? Because of him?

 

All of this was for nothing.

 

"You should go home. To her." Veronica whispers. Archie notices her fist clenched around the handle of her suitcase.

 

"Veronica, listen to me." He begins but Veronica shakes her head.

 

"I’m not mad about it.” She says, closing her eyes. “I’m mad that you left. Surprised that you'd do it.” He steps forward but she gestures for him to stop. “But I’m not mad you love her. It’s not your fault that you do. But I need you to leave... now."

 

A bus pulls up right as she says it. It’s flashing neon light reads _Memphis_. "Reggie isn't coming," he say, "I told him not to."

 

"My mom can pick me up."

 

"Please," Archie asks softly, reaching out to take her hand. "Please, can I just... let me take you home so we can talk."

 

Veronica shakes her head, offers him a weak smile. "Maybe some other time, Archiekins." She heaves her bag into the luggage compartment and climbs aboard the bus, disappears around the corner in a blur of red and white.  
…

 

When he knocks on the door this time he’s prepared. Prepared to do whatever it takes, prepared to beg for forgiveness if he has to.

 

“Archie.”

 

“Mrs. Lodge,” Archie says with a smile as the door swings up on. Hermione looks at him expectantly. “Is Veronica here yet?” He asks, hands shaking.

 

“No.” She says, eyes locked with his. She sighs. “I’m actually on my way to pick her up from the station.”

 

“Can I...” Archie pauses hesitantly. “Do you mind if I pick her up?”

 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Archie.” She says slowly. Archie sighs. Hermione pushes past him, locks the front door behind her.

 

“Mrs. Lodge!” Archie says, following her down the neat cobble-stone path to her car. “I know you’re just trying to protect Veronica but I really need to talk to her. I need to apologize.”

 

Hermione stops for a second, looks at Archie. She looks concerned, smiles genuinely. “I’m sorry, Archie.” Archie shuts his eyes, lowering his head. “You can wait here,” she says with an earnest smile, “if you’d like.”

 

“Thank you,” Archie says, beaming. The grin stays on his face until long after her car has disappeared from his line of sight.  
…

 

He sees them coming around the bend, meets Veronica’s eyes as she steps out of the car. He can’t move, can’t seem to remember how to breathe. He’s sitting on the porch. Eyes focused, fighting the exhaustion weighing him down.

 

She says something to her mother, Archie can’t tell what. Probably along the lines of ‘what the hell is he doing here?’ Hermione places a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Just give him a chance, Mija.” Archie hears her say, pressing a kiss to the top of Veronica’s head.

 

Veronica shakes her head, moves slowly until she’s standing in front of him. Archie looks at her— really looks at her— for the first time in over a week. She looks exhausted. Archie offers her a weak smile and Veronica sits down on the porch step beside him.

 

"You think we need to talk." She says. It’s not a question. She closes her eyes for a second, lets her hair out of the bun it’s been in to fall over her shoulders. “Okay. Talk.”

 

"I'm so sorry," Archie says, almost inaudibly.

 

"I know you are," Veronica says, standing up again. He’s afraid she’s going to walk away again before he’s even had a chance to say what he wants to say. But she sits down on the porch swing a few feet away. It’s another blazing hot day, and Archie can feel the sun on the back of his neck as if it’s right on top of him. It reminds him of that day in Nashville, drinking lemonade and homemade iced tea on a porch with two strangers and Veronica.

 

"I freaked out." Veronica nods. "Still, I shouldn't have just left," he continues.

 

"No" she agrees, rolling her eyes. "No, you shouldn't have."

 

Archie stands up and walks over to her, sitting down next to her. He unconsciously squeezes his hands together and Veronica must catch him doing it because she places one of hers over his. She’s always been able to do that. To calm him down, help him relax. Unreel him.

 

"With everything that’s been going on I... I couldn't handle it" he explains slowly. Veronica looks at him questioningly. "I didn't want things to become complicated. Not between me and you."

 

Too late.

 

"Okay," Veronica says. She closes her eyes again. Why is this so easy? She should be mad at him. She should hate him.

 

"I miss you, Ronnie.” He says softly. “You can't leave when we’re like this.” He hates that he sounds hopeless, desperate. He hates the fact that he _is_ even more. “Please, let me take you home."

 

"I don't want to go home." She sounds surprised by the words even as she’s saying them.

 

"You wanna stay here?" Archie asks, surprised.

 

"No,” Veronica says. For a fraction of a second Archie catches a hint of a smile. “God no.”

 

Archie smiles a tiny smile and Veronica smiles back slightly. It helps him relax, finally gives him a chance to exhale. He’s been holding his breath for a week now.

 

"How about we make the most of what’s left of the trip," He suggests. "Let's drive to Chicago, stay there for a few days and then you can go home."

 

"To stay with your mom?" Veronica asks incredulously.

 

“No.” Archie shakes his head. “My cousin lives just outside the city. We can stay there. If you’d like." He shrugs.

 

Veronica let’s out a deep breath. She looks as tired as he feels. She thinks it over for a moment. "Okay."  
…

 

Archie moves his seat back a little and closes his eyes for the briefest moment. He feels some kind of peaceful, the same peace he always feels when he’s with Veronica. They’re back on the road but everything feels different.

 

She doesn’t say much so neither does he. They’re listening to her CD again. Fleetwood Mac this time. The sun is setting. It reflects hues of pink in her eyes, illuminates golden skin.

 

"You want to sleep for a while?" Archie asks when he sees her eyes drifting closed. Veronica shakes her head, keeping her eyes on the road. It had been one of her conditions, she wanted to drive. He didn't mind. Somehow she’s gotten better at driving, the car hasn’t wavered once. She hasn’t looked at him once.

 

"How long have you known?" He asks carefully. "About Jughead and Betty."  
He sees her face shift, hands tighten around the wheel.

 

"Since Little Rock,” she answers, dryly. Archie remembers her being miserable the entire time they were there, doesn’t know what to say.

 

He knows Betty and Jughead are probably the last thing she wants to talk about right now be he can’t help himself. He needs to know. He’s not sure why. Closure, maybe. Maybe he’s not over her, wants to know if it’s because of him. "Why did it end?"

 

“He didn’t say,” She turns to face him, finally. Her eyes are hard, distant. Archie feels tense again. She pauses the song playing. “I asked Reggie but he didn’t know either,”

 

"Oh," Archie says.

 

She turns away from him again. The sun is disappearing behind the mountains now. The road is dark, empty. Archie tries to pass the time by counting. It’s a little trick his dad taught him when he was younger, a way to keep him quiet when they went on long drives.

 

He gets to two hundred before he speaks again. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asks, softly. Veronica’s face twitches as if he’d slapped her. She glances at him and then back to the road. He regrets the question.

 

"I was trying to protect you," she whispers. Archie nods. It’s not enough. He needs more from her. Something that makes sense because this sure as hell doesn’t. But he’s not going to push the subject, not now. Not when she’s just forgiven him.

 

Not when he’s missed her this much.

 

Her hair is up in a loose bun on her head, she looks exhausted. She looks as beautiful as she did in her dress at the wedding. He remembers kissing her, the taste of champagne on her lips. He remembers loving it. He remembers feeling grounded for the first time in forever.  
…

  
When dawn comes Archie has no idea where they are. Far from Chicago, stretched out on a fresh patch of grass in the middle of nowhere.

 

Veronica looks happy, eyes closed, basking in the morning light. She keeps checking her phone, he’s not sure for what and he’s too afraid to ask. "You turned your phone back on," Archie comments instead. It’s stupid because he already knew she did. He did too.

 

He closes the book he’d been reading, something Veronica had picked up at a gas station. He’s only on the first chapter. "Yeah" she replies.

 

"Who keeps texting you?" He asks. She’s barely gone two minutes without picking it up.

 

"Reggie.” She says with a small sigh, tucking it into her pocket. “He's just checking in."

 

Archie nods, his jaw clenching. "Oh."

 

"Are you staying in Chicago?" she asks, turning to face him. He hair is sprawled out on the grass. "I mean, you‘re not coming back to Riverdale, right?"

 

"I don't know," Archie says honestly. Veronica nods.

 

Betty and Jughead aren’t together anymore. He and Veronica are... different now. Shouldn’t that mean there’s no point in him leaving now?

 

Things aren’t the same as they were when they left. It’s been almost a month. A lot’s changed. His feelings have changed.  
…

 

"Do you still have feelings for him?" Archie asks. They’re back in the car. Veronica’s got her seat reclined back. She sits up, looking at him confused.

 

"For who?"

 

"Reggie." She looks at him as if she can’t decide whether or not he’s serious. Archie shifts his eyes back to the road, gripping the wheel tightly.

 

Veronica laughs. “We were never together,” She scoffs. “No feelings left to be had." She says with a grin. "Where on earth did you get that idea from?"

 

Archie shrugs. "You called him."

 

"I didn’t call him.” She says with a bite. "He called me."

 

They're not the same, he can tell. There’s something else now. Different; not tension but close to it. He doesn't feel as easy around her anymore. Maybe because he’s seen her naked, exposed and lovely. Maybe because he‘s disappointed her for the first time.

 

"You didn’t tell him what happened between us,” Archie notes, keeps his eyes trained on a blue van in front of them, a red bumper sticker that reads 'I used to be cool'. “Why?”

 

"I don’t know,” she shrugs, “I guess I didn’t want him to think badly of you."

 

"Why not?" Archie asks turning to face her. She’s watching him so intently he swears his heart stops beating for a second.

 

"Because you're my friend."

 

She should have told him. He doesn’t deserve to be protected like that, by her. He doesn’t deserve her. “Plus,” She says with a warm smile, tricks him into thinking everything is okay. “This is Reggie we’re talking about,” she rolls her eyes at his name, “he’s got the emotional range of a stuffed bear.”

 

Archie can’t stop himself, he bursts out laughing. He doesn’t know why he does, it’s not even that funny, not even a joke. But he keeps laughing. It only takes a second for Veronica to join him. Her laughter fills the air, warm and honey like. Archie can feel a smile spreading across his whole face, mirroring hers.

 

"Oh God," Archie smiles, clutching his sides. He hasn’t laughed like this in such a long time. Hasn’t been this happy since he left her.

 

“We should probably get back on the road," Veronica whispers breathlessly, sitting upright.

 

“Yeah,” Archie nods, standing up. He reaches out a hand to her, she takes it and Archie helps her up. “We should.”

 

“Thanks for coming to get me.” She says softly, holds his gaze.

 

Archie nods. “Thanks for asking me to come along in the first place.” Veronica smiles up at him, sweet and warm. He wants to kiss her again.

 

Instead, he asks “Why don’t I drive for a while?” They’ve been taking turns. It’s still hers but she looks like she needs the rest. Archie needs something to focus on that’s not her lips, how they slowly curl up whenever she laughs.

 

Veronica nods. "I would love that.” She sighs softly, dropping her shoulders, relieved. "You’re a life saver, Archie Andrews." Veronica smiles again, taking his hand and leading him to the car.

 

Archie nods silently. "Let's go then," she mumbles, reaching the car. Her hand slips out of his and she walks to the passenger seat and climbs into the car.

 

Archie gets into the car and closes the door behind him with a bang. They’re not far from Chicago, he knows that, sees a sign that lets him know it's only 500 miles away. So why does it feel like this drive is going to be excruciatingly long?  
…

 

“Veronica Lodge.” She says, extending her hand. Archie puts a hand on her shoulder, reassuringly but quickly removes it. Touching her doesn’t feel normal anymore. Touching her means something now, to him at least. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

 

"Zack," He purrs with a grin. He takes Veronica’s hand in his, kisses the back of it. “And the pleasure is all mine,” Veronica smiles faintly.

 

Archie can feel his fist clenching.

 

"Nice to meet you," Nat says with a warm smile, pulling Veronica into a hug. It’s still early in the evening. The day had seemed to last forever, at some point Archie thought the road might never come to an end. Veronica looks tired, even though she‘s spent the last few hours asleep in the back seat. Archie, on the other hand, can feel his pulse in his throat. He feels restless, needs a drink to help him calm down.

 

"Veronica, we’ve heard all about you,” Izzy says excitedly, "Nat told me about how Archie was pining for you all summer the last time he was here.“

 

"Oh," Veronica says with a weak smile, lowering her head for the briefest pause. Archie really needs that drink. "No, that's not me," Veronica says with a smile.

 

Archie swallows. Somehow Betty still follows him wherever he goes.

 

"Not you?" Izzy asks, looking confused.

 

"No, not me" Veronica mumbles. Izzy and Nat exchange a look and Archie can feel the weight of the last month, maybe even the last few years, dragging him down.

 

Zack beams at Veronica. "That’s good news for me.” He says with a smirk. “If you're not Archie's girl, do you mind if I get you a drink?" Archie rolls his eyes at that.

 

"I would love one," Veronica smiles. "Wine, please."

 

“Coming right up.” Zack leaves the room, disappearing behind a wall covered in modern art pieces, to get her drink.  
...

 

The room is small, nothing besides a neatly made single bed and a pretty dresser. There are pictures of Nat and her friends all across the room neatly pressed on the mirror, stuck to the wall.

 

She’d offered to stay with her boyfriend for a few days until Veronica and Archie decide what they are going to do. If she hadn’t they might’ve had to find somewhere else to stay, the apartment is strangely small.

 

Archie drops Veronica’s bag onto the floor. Her luggage looks old and frayed now. What was good as new a few weeks ago has been so roughed up by now that he’s certain it’s one road bump away from coming apart at the seams.

 

So much has changed.

 

Archie looks at himself in the mirror. He hasn’t slept properly in almost a week and it shows, he looks like a mess. He feels like a mess. Archie runs a hand through his hair, flattens it until it looks as close to perfect as he’s going to get it tonight.

 

He takes a deep breath and makes his way back to the living room where everyone is finishing their drinks.

 

"Let's go out" Izzy exclaims, as he’s rounding the corner. Her eyes light up when she sees Archie. "There's this new club, just a few blocks away. I think we could all use a night out."

 

"We're kind of tired…" Archie begins.

 

"Yes, let's go,” Veronica says excitedly, stopping him. Archie glances over at her but she’s not looking at him. "Just let me finish this drink and put on something a little more uncomfortable."

 

“I knew I liked you,” Izzy says, clapping her hands eagerly. Veronica smiles at her, blushing slightly.

 

Archie can’t help but roll his eyes again Who doesn’t like Veronica?  
…

 

The club is loud and dark and Archie feels drunk after two drinks. He’s downed two glasses worth of tequila and a fruity pink drink that Veronica had roped him into trying.

 

He hasn’t been able to think straight all night. She’s the reason why; dancing in the middle of the room, all eyes on her, moving like everything that’s ever happened before tonight was just a sideshow. The lights, the music, the attention. This is where she belongs. She’s breathtaking.

 

As many times as he tries, Archie can’t seem to pull his eyes off of her. She’s like a beacon, calling out to him. Magnetic. He can’t look away.

 

Veronica’s red dress is gorgeous. It falls just above her knees, leaves her back sleek and exposed. She’s got on six-inch heels. They make her legs look like they go on forever. Archie had noticed all of this three seconds after he saw her in it, hadn’t been able to pick his jaw up off the ground long enough to even compliment her on it.

 

He isn’t the only one either. Everyone here seems to gravitate towards Veronica. They can’t help it.

 

So many guys have tried to dance with her that Archie’s lost count. She says yes to all of them, hooks her arm around their neck and moves against them. Slowly, carefully, nonchalant.

 

The song ends and Veronica searches the room until her eyes land on him, flashing him a bright smile. She’s glowing. Before Archie can move, the music starts up again and there’s a new stranger dancing with her. Archie checks his phone again, anything so that he doesn’t have to watch her dance with someone that’s not him. It’s three in the morning and he has four missed calls from Betty.  
...

 

When she finally makes it off the dance floor, Veronica holds his hand and drags him along, leads him to the center of the crowd. “I think Izzy likes you.” She whispers, breath hot against his ear. She pulls back with a grin, points him in her direction. “Ask her to dance.”

 

Before he has a chance to say anything. Before he has to chance to think about her lips burning his skin, Veronica turns to someone behind her. “Hello darling,” the stranger says.

 

“Who’s this?” Archie asks, biting his tongue.

 

“Nate,” Veronica says with a grin. Archie rolls his eyes. She turns her back to him. "Dance with me," she giggles pulling at Nate’s arms. “I need a distraction.” Archie watches her carefully, eyes burning.

 

“I’m not really in the mood for dancing.” Nate sighs.

 

Veronica let’s go of him and shrugs. "Kiss me then" she whispers, but Archie still hears her. Maybe she wanted him to.

 

Nate doesn’t hesitate. His lips are on hers before Archie can blink. His tongue makes its way into her mouth, and she closes her eyes again. He pushes her up against a wall, and Veronica follows his movements. Archie can’t look away. He can feel his lungs burning, his entire being feels like it’s being torn apart, but he can’t look away. "You danced enough for tonight, don't you think?" He hears Nate murmur against Veronica’s skin.

 

Archie picks up a glass of something, he doesn’t know what, and downs it in one sip. It’s strong, burns his throat. He likes it.

 

Veronica is still kissing Nate, hands all over him, roping her fingers through his hair. “Maybe we should get out of here.” He purrs.

 

"Yes," Veronica whispers back. Archie feels sick or relieved that they’re leaving or both. But they don’t move. Instead, Nate sticks his hands under her dress and a second later her bra falls to the floor. Her dress starts to ride up her waist and Archie feels himself pushing through the few people between them, trying to get closer.

 

"Hey," a voice barks. It’s only once Veronica and Nate pull apart, turn around and stare at him that Archie realizes it’s his.

 

Veronica‘s eyes are open just long enough to lock with Archie’s before she closes them again.

 

"What?" Nate asks, he sounds pissed and keeps his hands locked around Veronica’s waist. Archie wants to punch him square in the jaw.

 

"Veronica, you're wasted,” Archie says, ignoring him. Veronica stares at him blankly. “Let’s go home." She shakes her head.

 

"There you have it," Nate says smugly. "She doesn't want to go."

 

"She's drunk." Archie snaps, inching closer.

 

"She's having a good time!" Nate says, kisses Veronica again just to spite him. Archie’s livid.

 

“ _She_ is right here,” Veronica says, rolling her eyes. “And she can make her own decisions.” 

 

Archie scoffs. “What, Archie?” Veronica drawls. “Why do you care?” She whispers hoarsely. She sounds drained. Exhausted. He’s never seen her like this.

 

She pushes Nate’s hands off her and carefully straightens out her dress.

 

"You're my friend,” Archie says slowly. “I don't want to see you get hurt." He finishes, swallows anything else he’d wanted to say ten seconds ago.

 

"How can I get hurt?" She asks her voice ice cold. The room has quieted down, the music stopped. Everyone is still, watching them. “Please. Enlighten me.” She jabs him on his shoulder.

 

"I don't want you to regret anything."

 

“Right," Veronica nods slowly. “Because you have so much experience in that field, right? Sleeping with people and then regretting it?"

 

He feels like he’s just been slapped, can feel his face stinging even though she’s standing so far away. “You’re drunk,” Archie repeats, shaking his head at her.

 

"Maybe," Veronica says dryly. “Doesn’t make it any less true.”

 

Nate clears his throat, steps out from behind Veronica. "Archie, maybe you should go home," he suggests.

 

"I'm not leaving without her," Archie says firmly.

 

"Find your own girl,“ Nate says and Archie doesn’t hesitate. He shoves Nate in the chest. Nate’s almost as drunk as Veronica, maybe more. He clutches on to Veronica’s arm to stop himself from falling.

 

Veronica shakes him off of her and he falls to the floor. "Leave me the hell alone," she spits at him, turns to walk away only to notice Archie right in front of her face. “Both of you.”  
…

 

The street is surprisingly quiet, the music from the club a faint and distant murmur. He hears her before he sees her, breathing jagged and heavy. She’s sitting on the pavement, hands wrapped around her legs, holding them her chest.

 

"Veronica," Archie says softly, sitting down next to her. She doesn’t turn around, doesn’t look at him.

 

"Leave me alone." She pleas, turning to face him. Her eyes are pink and puffy, mascara smeared under her lashes. She looks beautiful even in the dim streetlight.

 

She looks beautiful everywhere.  


"Don't you get it?" Archie whispers tiredly. "I can't."

 

Veronica carefully lifts her gaze to meet his, her face softening. Archie lifts his hand, strokes her cheek with his thumb. Her skin is ice cold. He feels her shiver and leans in. Kissing her is as easy as breathing. Her lips are soft and cold, her breath laced with something he can’t point out. She wraps her arms around his neck, ruffling his hair, kisses the abyss between his neck and shoulder.

 

Every time her lips collide with his skin it’s a jolt of electricity running through him, coursing through his veins, reminding him this is it. This is Veronica. She’s it for him.

 

Archie brings her mouth back to his, keeps his eyes open so that he can see her, Veronica Lodge in all her glory. as well as feel her.

 

"Let's go home," she whispers against his lips. Archie pulls her to her feet. He suddenly feels remarkably sober. As sober as he’s ever felt. A cab stops a few feet away from them and they get in silently, Veronica gripping onto his hand.

 

Archie reaches for her again and pulls her lips to his in one swift motion. They could have run home, could’ve made it there it less than ten minutes. But somehow being in this close proximity- kissing her in the back of a cab until she moans into his ear, a tiny whisper- seems like the sounder option.

 

The night is turning to morning and the cab driver is playing a song Archie can’t name, but he recognizes it. Recognizes the words and the melody and the way Veronica’s lips curl up when she hears it.

 

And I wonder, if everything could ever feel this real forever, if anything could ever be this good again.  
…

 

They don’t stop to lock the door behind themselves, just barely close it and then stumble toward Veronica’s room.

 

Getting her dress off isn’t easy, eventually, Veronica pulls away to unzip it and lets it fall to the ground. Her bra is still somewhere on the floor of that club. She doesn’t wait for him to take his shirt off, pulls at the buttons until it slowly starts to tear apart. He doesn’t care. He doesn’t care about anything but her.

 

Her hands are all over him and his all over her. When the alcohol wears off she tastes just like she had in the guesthouse in Paradise Valley.

 

_Shit. Paradise Valley. He’d left her._

 

"I can't do this" Veronica whispers, pulling away from him as if reading his mind. Archie looks up at her. Her neck is still red where he’d just kissed it.

 

"Why not?" He already knows the answer.

 

"Because I...” Veronica stops herself, catches her breath. “If I do this, I don’t think I’ll ever get over you."

 

Archie kisses her mouth, silencing her. She traces his chest, his ribs, running her fingers along his skin slowly. Her fingers are cold but they still manage to burn his skin. He needs her, is tired of pretending that he doesn’t. She’s all he’s ever needed. The only person that ever meant anything.

 

"Then don't,” he whispers against her lips. "Don't get over me."

 

* * *

 

 

_**ii. today** _

 

  
It takes Veronica longer than she’d like to adapt to Los Angeles. It’s not as fast as New York but it’s faster than Riverdale, people are always bustling around, on the move. She likes it. It feels like home; New York before she’d found out her entire life was a lie.

 

The city is a vast, intricate, labyrinth of noisy, streets and alleys.

 

It’s been three weeks since she left that damned hotel, a month since she arrived in L.A. She’s never felt more independent, more at ease than she does here. She’s living with Toni now, an eccentric apartment above an Italian restaurant that she can never remember the name of.

 

Toni gets her a fake ID. A good one this time, good enough to land her a job anyway. Yes, she, Veronica Lodge is a working class citizen earning an income, paying the bills, it’s all very empowering.

 

Granted, said job is a part-time gig performing at the all-ages bar next door to their building, but it still counts. She’s counting it. It means she’s moving on, starting over.

 

And she is. She hasn’t spoken to Archie at all since she left, even after she got herself a new phone and Betty let it slip that she might’ve given Archie her new number. She hasn’t spoken to him. He hasn’t called and she hasn’t wanted him to.

 

Not compellingly, anyway.

 

She likes it here; enjoys not being hated because her father single-handedly divided the entire town or pitied because her best friend broke her heart.

 

She enjoys living on her own and having the opportunity to play music for a living and being happy. It’s all relatively new, maybe even a little overwhelming at times.

 

But she likes it.

 

It’s uncomplicated and that’s exactly what she needs.  
....

 

 

"Hey, where are you?" Veronica can hear the faint sound of an engine whirring. She smiles, positive of who it belongs to.

 

“I’m... at SunnySide trailer park,” Betty says, sounding surprised herself. Veronica rolls her eyes, “of all places,” Betty finishes.

 

“Hmmm,” Veronica says with a wide grin. She gets into the cab that’s just pulled up in front of her, gives the driver Toni’s address while Betty rambles on endlessly. “B,” Veronica says, stopping her.

 

“What?” Betty asks nervously.

 

“Is it a date or not?”

 

“I don’t know,” Betty sighs. “But we’re both going to be at Columbia in the fall, so I figured things should at least be civil between us.”

 

“Yeah,” Veronica nods, shuffling around in her purse trying to find her keys. “You’re right.” She finds it underneath her wallet, swings around the snow globe of Riverdale her mom had gotten her when they’d first moved there.

 

Tiny specks of glitter float down onto the town when she shakes it. It looks perfect, like the type of place that would change your life.

 

“I’m thinking of applying to law school,” She blurts out, feels a wave of relief wash over her as she says it. “I’ll probably only be able to start next semester but I think... I really want to do this.”

 

“Really?” Betty asks it’s hard to tell if she’s happy for her from a thousand miles away. “Veronica that’s incredible,” she says, Veronica can hear her smiling as she does. “I’m so proud of you.”

 

“Thank you,” Veronica suddenly gets the overwhelming urge to go back home, to have a milkshake at Pop’s in their favorite booth and celebrate the good news like they’ve done so many times before. Birthdays, the Bulldogs winning a match, Betty getting offered a scholarship, Archie and Betty finally dating.

 

Just like that, the feeling’s gone as soon as it came. Just like that she doesn’t feel the same kind of homesick anymore.

 

“I wish you were here,” Betty says solemnly. “I miss you,” she tells her softly, “we all do.” Veronica’s been gone long enough to know what that’s code for: Archie misses you.

 

She misses him too; misses the boy who was her best friend, the one who drove across the entire country with her so that she wouldn’t be alone.

 

It doesn’t mean she should go back, only that she’s human.

 

“I miss you too,” she tells Betty. “I just don’t think I can come back.”

 

“I know,” Betty assures her. The car pulls up outside of her apartment and Veronica slowly gets out of it. “Hey maybe I’ll come to L.A. for a weekend soon,” Betty suggests. “I’m going to be hauled up in this house with my parents all summer. It’d be a nice getaway.”

 

Maybe.

 

Veronica smiles. “I would love that, Betty.”  
....

 

She’s in the middle of the last episode of some reality show she could care less about when she gets a text from Toni,

 

_You free tonight? Hayley bailed. Need someone to perform._

 

It’s not the first time she’s been called in to perform at the last minute, happens at least once a week. Veronica doesn’t mind, though. It means extra cash and some tips she can put towards college.

 

_Sure_ , she texts back, _give me 5 minutes._  
....

  
Veronica slips into her favorite blue dress, a tight piece with thin straps and a low neckline. She pairs it with a striking pair of black heels. The summer air is hot and it makes her skin glow. She teases her hair, letting it fall over shoulders and lines her lips with a deep red lipstick to complete the look. She loves it, feels confident and stunning and like she can do anything she wants.

 

She makes it down to the bar just in time for her set. It’s warm and loud inside, people talking amongst themselves all around the room, enthralled in conversation. Veronica watches the band set, hopes this one has talent. Her second night working here the manager, Mark, had brought in a high school band. They were horrible. They kept messing up the chords, forcing her to repeat her lines to match the tune.

 

It wasn’t the last time it happened, either.

 

“Here you go,” The girl, who’d been helping set up the equipment a minute ago, hands Veronica a piece of paper. “The setlist.”

 

“Thanks,” Veronica says with a smile, pulling off her coat. She heads over to the storage room and hangs it up on the wall.

 

“Are you ready?” Toni asks as she steps out.

 

“Yeah... I just need a-“ Toni holds up a tiny shot glass. Veronica smiles, taking the glass and swallowing her drink in one sip. “Thanks.” She gives Toni a quick hug making her way onto the small stage.

 

Veronica walks onto the stage slowly and lifts the mic of its stand, moves with the beat waiting for her cue.

 

_Why are you keeping me at a distance?_  
_All that I'm asking for is forgiveness_  
_Are you even listening? Am I talking to myself again?_

 

The room is quiet now, all eyes on the four silhouettes on stage. The band is good. Really good. Surprisingly good, actually. She can’t even remember their name. They look old enough to know what they’re doing.

 

_I keep on staring up at the ceiling_  
_Waiting for you to give me some kind of reason_  
_Are you even listening? Am I talking to myself again?_

 

The crowd is the same as almost every night, they do the same thing as every night. They watch her, follow her with their eyes until the very last note. Truth be told, she loves it, loves being looked at like she’s echoing, melting gold.

 

_And I know you don't owe me your love_  
_And I know that you don't owe me nothing at all_  
_Ain't no way I'm giving up on you_

 

Veronica moves like she was born to do this. She shakes and trembles like unstable glass, comes together and falls apart on cue. Her hair moves around as she moves, falls off her shoulders. She feels weightless.

  
Don't leave me here in the dark when it's hard to see  
Show me your heart, shed a light on me  
If you love me, say so, if you love me say so  
....

  
  
“She’s engaged,” Toni remarks, smiling at Mia. Veronica had met Mia about two weeks after she got to L.A, she was one of Toni’s closest friends and Veronica had befriended her instantly.

 

Veronica’s eyes fall to the ring on her finger. It’s beautifully detailed . “What?!” She admires. “It’s gorgeous. Congratulations!”

 

“Yeah,” Toni says with a smirk. “And it’s real, too.” She giggles. Veronica rolls her eyes, glancing at the ring on her own finger, beautiful. It also happens to be plastic.

 

“Anything to keep these misogynistic idiots away from me.” She scoffs. It started off as a joke. Some of the guys at the bar wouldn’t stop making passes at her so she spent five dollars on the “perfect” ring. She never thought it would work, but it did. And she hasn’t taken it off since, likes pretending she’s leading a different life; one where someone is waiting up for her, someone who wants to spend the rest of their life with _her_.

 

Toni eventually stops laughing and catches her breath. “Anyway,” She says, “I’m all ready to go, you coming?”

 

“I’ll meet you upstairs in a minute,” Veronica assures her as Toni heads toward the door. The bar is already empty. “I just need to grab my coat. I think I left it in the storeroom.”

 

“You want me to wait?”

 

Veronica shakes her head. “I’ll be fine.” She promises.

 

“Suit yourself,” Toni laughs, slowly walking out of the door.

 

It only takes Veronica a minute to grab her coat and purse, exactly as she’d left them except that she can hear her own thoughts now. She carefully counts the contents of her tip jar, empties it into her purse. Nine dollars. Yeah, she might have to rethink choosing this as her primary path to saving up thousands of dollars.

 

As she steps out of the bar, she's met with the crisp cold air. It wakes her up, sobers up the part of her that was feeling especially excited after her performance.

 

“You were amazing up there,” a voice comes through the dim lit street. She thinks her mind is playing tricks on her but he’s moving and he’s coming towards her. He looks exhausted. And familiar. Familiar like home, like she wants to bury her head in the crook of his neck.

 

Her skin shivers and she grips onto her coat, anchors herself to the ground. “Archie?”

 

“Ronnie.” He smiles nervously. “Hey.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * I really thought I wouldn't have this chapter up for another week or so because I'm in the midst of moving, so I'm really happy that I managed to finish it!
> 
> * I come bearing bittersweet news, too; This fic is going to be between 12 and 14 chapters so we're almost halfway there :') I'm not sure how I feel about that yet
> 
> * if you’d like to chat with me about this fic or varchie or just.. anything in general, you can find me on tumblr @veronicasloddge !!
> 
> As always, I'd love to hear what you guys think of this chapter!


	9. part 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archie leans in and carefully kisses her shoulder, his lips leaving her skin without a sound. She doesn’t stir so he climbs under the covers and wraps his arms around her, closes his eyes and prays that if this a dream he doesn’t wake up.

_**i. roughly 2 months ago** _

  
Archie carefully steps over the ripped shirt and Veronica’s tangled dress on his way out of her room. Tries his best to make no noise, to not wake her up. The phone in his hand is still buzzing, and he can’t wait for one more second to silence the noise.

  
"Sorry," he says into the phone. He still has a headache from the night before, the club with the deafening music. "I just needed to get out of the room."

  
"Yeah, no problem," Jughead says. He sounds confused or surprised, maybe both. It’s only the second time in just almost as many months that Archie's spoken to him. Two months ago Archie couldn’t imagine ever being able to have an actual conversation with him ever again.

  
"What’s up?"

  
It takes a minute before his answer comes. “Not an existential crisis or anything,” Jughead laughs dryly, still sounding a bit confused. “I was just wondering when... if you’re coming home?”

  
"Soon, I think,” Archie replies, feeling a smile creep into his lips. He can’t help it. It feels like the first time in forever that he’s happy, he doesn’t think he’s ever been this happy.

  
Jughead sighs. "Both of you?" He sounds relieved.

  
"Yes."

  
"Good... that’s good." Jughead replies. "Can we talk?" Archie knows what he wants to talk about; Betty.

  
She’s the farthest thing from his mind right now.

  
"I don't think so," Archie tells him, peers, into the room to make sure he hasn’t woken Veronica up. He hasn’t.

  
"Why?"

  
"No,” Archie replies instantly, shaking his head. “Yeah, we can talk,” he clarifies, “when I get home."

  
"Really?” He sounds more genuine than Archie’s ever heard him be. It’s refreshing. “You wanna talk to me?"

  
"Yeah,” Archie smiles to himself, “Jug, you’re like my bother.”

  
Jughead clears his throat. "Right," he laughs nervously. "Are you drunk?"

  
Archie scoffs. “Dude, it’s 10 AM.”

  
"I know,” Jughead says slowly, it’s the first time in weeks Archie allows himself to miss him. The boy he grew up with, the one who would make him sneak out in the middle of the night just for a burger at Pops. As messed up as things are between them they’ll always be like brothers. “But you're all… I don’t know you just sound different.”

  
“I am,” Archie tells him, “different.”

  
“Good different?”

  
“I hope so.” Archie sighs. The apartment is empty. Everyone is probably still sleeping off their hangovers. Last night was rough.

  
At least one good thing came out of it.

  
“Okay,” Jughead says. Archie smiles. “You'll be home soon?"

  
"Yeah." Archie hangs up. It‘s taken him months to finally answer his calls. He figured he’d yell or say something he’d regret but in all honesty, he feels nothing special; no anger or hurt or pain. Just relief. Relieved, to finally be starting a new chapter of his life, one he hoped would be remarkable.

  
Slowly, he presses the door handle down, stepping back into the room. Veronica is still curled up under the white covers. Archie leans in and carefully kisses her shoulder, his lips leaving her skin without a sound. She doesn’t stir so he climbs under the covers and wraps his arms around her, closes his eyes and prays that if this a dream he doesn’t wake up.   
…

 

Veronica wakes up a while later, slowly and silently. She stirs in the bed first, moves a hand around until it lands on his waist.

  
Her eyes drift open slowly. It’s the longest period of time ever, Archie thinks, waiting for her to do something, say something.

  
"Hey," he whispers. She looks surprised to see him, relieved. He’s still so close to her. He’s still here.

  
"Hey," she whispers back, glances up at him through sleepy eyelids. She reaches out to touch him but changes her mind. “Are you freaking out?” She asks with a laugh, but it doesn’t sound like a joke.

  
“Yeah,” He whispers. The light coming through the window is bright and blinding. “A little. Aren’t you?”

  
"No," she says softly. "Not really."

   
He doesn’t want to leave her ever again. Ever.

  
"You and me, it doesn't scare you?” He asks seriously.

  
“Of course it scares me,” She breathes. “It’s me and you.”

  
“Yeah,” he nods. Four years ago he never would have believed this is where they’d be. And not just because of Betty; Veronica has _always_ been out of his league. 

  
“But I’m not freaked out,” she assures him, pulls a sheet over her exposed skin and sits up against the headboard, “or worried.”

  
“It terrifies me,” he admits honestly, sitting upright. She terrifies him. This thing, whatever it is, is destroying him. It equally excites and scares him.

  
“Okay.”

  
“Okay?” He echoes. Her eyes are staring into his, looking up at him.

  
“I don’t know what else to say.” She says calmly, running her fingers along the mattress aimlessly.

  
“I’m freaked out because you’re the only good thing in my life, Veronica,” he clarifies. Veronica looks away from him, toward the door or something else that he can’t see. “If we mess this up... I‘ve got nothing.”

  
“I get it,” she assures him with a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. She sounds nonchalant. “Do you want to pretend like it never happened?”  

  
Archie straightens his back. “Do you?” Because if she does... he doesn’t know what he’ll do. She shakes her head slowly. Archie grins sheepishly. “I think that would be impossible, anyway.”

  
Veronica smiles weakly, wrapping the sheet around her form. She starts to move off the bed but Archie places a hand on her waist, tries to stop her. “Don’t leave.” He says softly.

  
He waits for her to call him out. He’s such a fucking hypocrite. “I just don’t know what to do,” she says instead.

  
“About what?”

  
“I can’t lie here with you if we’re just friends.”

  
He doesn’t think they’ll ever be able to be just friends again. Not now that he’s kissed her, now that he’s felt her lips on his and drowned in her touch. “Do you think this would scare me even half as much as it does if I saw you as just a friend?”

  
“No,” she sighs, drops her head defeatedly. “Maybe... I don’t know.” She shuts her eyes, rests her head against the headboard. A picture of Izzy with someone Archie doesn’t know falls to the ground. “This is all new for me too. I mean, do you think I wanted this to happen?” She bites her lip. “Betty is my best friend and you’re...”

  
“So what do we do?” He’s already dreading her answer.

  
“ I don’t want to run from this.” She says firmly. 

  
“Me either,” he breathes, runs his fingers across her exposed shoulder. He smiles down at her, “you make me happy.” She looks away slightly, shakes her head. “Really. You make me so happy, Veronica. When I’m around you... it’s like nothing else matters. I can always be myself. I don’t have to hide the parts of me that I don’t like. Everything about you is... it makes me happy.”

  
Archie takes in a deep breath and Veronica shuts her eyes hesitantly. "But love has never been easy for me, Ronnie. Never. Not with Betty or anyone else. It's always been a struggle."

  
"So, you don't know if you love me or just like being you with me?" She says dryly, tilts her head up to look at him.

  
“I think it’s more complicated than that.” He says. Archie watches as she nods slowly, pulls her lower lip between her teeth. “Do _you_ know?”  

  
Veronica nods. She lifts a hand— Archie is momentarily surprised by how steady it is since he can feel his own quivering— and slides it along his jaw. He melts into her touch, her eyes warm and bright. "I love you." She says softly, certainly. He’d expected it to be hard to say, to hear a cracking, broken, cautious voice.

  
Of course, she makes it sound so simple. Because she’s freakin' Veronica Lodge, and she's got putting words together down to a fine art. She has nearly two decades worth of practice being from the Upper East Side, so it really shouldn't come as a surprise, but she says it so earnestly, it makes him believe it might actually be true.

  
He never thought Veronica would be the first to say it— to him of all people. After everything she’s been through, after all the disappointment and failed relationships. But her words are clear and firm. Sincere.

  
He can feel the words burning a hole in him, can feel _it_. He loves her, he does. He might always have. But nothing comes out.  
... 

  
The house is empty, save for the two of them. The other residents somehow already having left for work or classes. So Archie and Veronica have the place to themselves.

  
It’s both a blessing and a curse. It’s hard to go from “I love you” to “let’s play XBOX”.

  
"Why do they have all this food?" Veronica asks with her head in the fridge. She hasn’t said much all morning. Neither has he.

  
"Izzy likes to cook," Archie reminds her. He peaks his head into the fridge, it’s completely full. Cartons of milk, a pack of bacon, a tub of strawberries and another of blueberries.

  
“Oh. Right.” Veronica nods. She starts pulling out things, one at a time. Eggs then bacon then milk. Hands them to Archie to stack on the counter.

  
“What’s all this?” He asks. She’s handed him at least ten things.

  
Archie smiles at her. They’ve both kept this going the entire morning; dancing around the elephant in the room. But Archie’s mind hasn’t been able to stop racing.

  
She said she loves him. Loves him. She’d said it so casually, so certainly. He almost didn't hear it. Almost didn't believe she actually said it.

  
He still doesn’t.

  
"A real breakfast," she smiles, “I haven’t had one in ages!”

  
"Can you cook?" he asks with a laugh. Veronica glares at him.

  
"No,” she replies, rolls her eyes at him. “Can you?"

  
"I think I can fry bacon."

  
"Great,” she smiles, hands him a frying pan. “How hard can it be?”

  
Archie watches her closely; cracking eggs into a bowl carelessly. Her hair is a tangled mess and she‘s wearing one of Izzy’s shirts. It’s got AC/DC printed across in big, bold letters. She uses a teaspoon to stir the eggs before pouring them into a cold pan and Archie has to hold back a laugh.

  
"Hey" she calls out to him, pulls him out of his train of thought. Archie struggles to keep a straight face. He nods. “What are you doing? Get cooking! "

  
"You know, Ronnie,” he says with a playful smirk, “you need to actually turn the stove on first."

 

He thinks he loves her.

 

He can feel it watching her move around the kitchen with such purpose. 

  
He loves the way she curls her lip when she’s frustrated and the way her smile always brightens his day. He loves that she’s the most beautiful person he’s ever met— through and through. She’s the only person he ever wants to tell anything to and the only opinion that matters to him.

  
He loves that he can’t imagine his life without her in it; that he doesn’t want to.

  
Veronica shakes her head at him. “No kidding,” she deadpans. She shuffles around in the drawer, her hair falling all over her face as she does so. “Have you seen the-“

  
“Here,” Archie says with a small smile, offers her the spatula. Veronica sighs, standing up straight.

  
“Thanks,” she smiles.

  
“Careful,” Archie says softly. Veronica looks up at him anxiously and Archie reaches forward to stroke her hair out of her face. "You probably don't want hair in your eggs" he breathes.

  
Veronica shakes her head silently. "No, that would be bad."  
…

  
“Have you known this whole time?” He asks. It’s the worst possible time, he knows that.

  
But timing’s never really been their thing.

  
“What?” She turns to face him, rests her glass on the bar. The club is much emptier tonight. Izzy is dancing in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by at least a few dozen people. Zack’s already disappeared with a girl he just met. Archie and Veronica are sat at the bar, watching the lights dance across the room; vermilion and scarlet and a whirlwind of colors blending together.

  
“That you... love me?” Archie replies. It’s a stupid question. He knows Veronica, knows she would never do anything to jeopardize her relationship with him or Betty. But he’s confused and still a little hungover.

  
“God, no, Archie.” Her eyes snap up to meet his. “How messed up do you think I am?” She stares at him, indignant.

  
“I don’t.” He says, so soft he’s not sure if she can hear him over the music.

  
She does. “Okay,” she nods. She takes a sip of her drink. Pulls the pink umbrella out of it and drops it onto the counter. “I didn’t know until Paradise Valley,” she says.

  
“Oh.” Archie sighs.

  
She brushes it off with a little smile. “We should get back out there,” Veronica says excitedly, takes off her jacket and places it on a bar stool. Archie nods slowly.

  
“Yeah.”

  
“I want to dance with you,” she grins, putting down her drink. She takes his hand and leads him toward the neon lights.

  
Archie isn’t the clubbing type, never has been, but Veronica wanted to go and he’s never been able to say no to her.

  
He lets her pull him onto the dance floor easy enough. His “I don’t really feel like dancing,” is ruined by the smile on his face.

  
The club is different from last night. The music is slower, softer. His one hand curves around her waist, the other holds her hand, and they sway mingling through the crowded room.

  
He throws her out and spins her back into his arms, and she says laughing, “So he dances.”

  
Archie shrugs, a grin on his face. “When I want to.”

And all of a sudden she seems so much closer than she had been a second ago, and he knows she can feel it too. “You okay?” He asks softly, hand tightening around her waist.

  
“Yeah,” she smiles up at him, “I... you should know that I won’t hold it against you.”

  
“What?” They don’t stop for a second, keep moving steadily to the music.

  
“If you don’t... love me. I get it. You’re still not over Betty or whatever.”

  
“I am.” He assures her instantly.

  
“Right.” Veronica nods slowly. “Well you’ve been acting weird all day because you don’t want to hurt my feelings but... it’s okay. I’ll be okay.”

  
He knows now— in the middle of her sentence, in the middle of everything— he knows it isn't a meaningless little crush.

  
No, it's so much more than that.

  
And that's what had scared him, made him turn tail and run.

  
“I’m not.” He‘s out of breath, Veronica waiting patiently eyes shining up at him. “I do love you, Veronica,” he says softly, nods to himself as she stares at him surprised.

  
It hits him like a wave, knocking him over, confusing all his senses, leaving him fundamentally altered. “I’m in love with you.” He states, more certain.

  
“You wanna go outside?” Veronica whispers, lips pressed against his ear to help him hear her over the music.

  
Archie nods.

  
And then she's looking at him with _those_ eyes and he's helpless.   
…

  
The door hasn’t even shut behind them before he's kissing her hard, tongue running along the seam of her lips before she opens her mouth and lets him in.

  
His hands roam down her back and tangle in her hair as he deepens the kiss.

  
He can feel his heart, thundering away in his chest as she curls her fingers around the back of his neck, her other hand tugging at his shirt.

  
It feels like a dream. It doesn’t feel real.

  
The street is cold, quiet and desolate. "What just happened?" Veronica breathes, gasps for air. Archie cups her face in his hands and kisses her. He can’t imagine getting tired of kissing her. Ever.

  
"I love you, Ronnie," He repeats. It feels incredible to say, exhilarating. He wants to shout it from a rooftop, wants the whole world to know.

  
“Yeah,” Veronica says with a small smile, teases him, “I don’t think just friends feel that way about each other.”

  
Archie nods silently, a sheepish grin playing at his lips. “You know, you’re probably right.”

  
“Always am.” It‘s almost morning now. The sun is already rising, shades of blue and lilac.

  
Archie keeps his forehead pressed against Veronica’s, breathes in the cool air. It feels like a fresh start. He can feel her shivering, takes off his jacket and wraps it around her gently.

  
"I really love this jacket,” she mumbles, head buried in its fabric, hugs it close to her.

  
"It looks good on you."

  
Veronica laughs, “it’s huge!” It is. It looks almost three times her size and falls just below her knees.

  
"I love you," Archie whispers again. And there’s that feeling again; zealousness.

  
"You sure?" She asks, pulls him closer nonetheless.

  
"Never been so sure about anything."

  
Veronica shuts her eyes tightly, cringing as a laugh escapes her lips. “What?!” Archie asks, defensively.

  
“That was so cheesy.” She laughs again, euphoric and honey-like.

  
Archie stares at her blankly, mumbles a soft "you’re ruining the moment,” but he can’t hide the smile on his face.

  
“Sorry,” Veronica says, pressing her lips into a thin line. She kisses his cheek, soft and quick, before resting her head on his shoulder.

  
Archie tilts his head down, presses a kiss to the top of her head. "You never said it back," he whispers against her hair.

  
Veronica looks at him pointedly for a minute before nodding slowly."I love you,” she says. Again. It feels like a dream. “You know that."  
…

 

It takes Archie less than ten minutes to have all their things loaded into the back of his car.

 

They’re going home.

  
He finally feels ready. There are probably a million reasons he shouldn’t go back but it’s where Veronica’s going to be; she eclipses everything.

  
She’s on the phone when he comes back into the apartment. He makes a big deal of fanning himself, letting her know how hot it is outside. Veronica rolls her eyes when she catches sight of him, giggles softly.

  
"I still miss you though," she says into the phone, prying her eyes away from Archie.

  
"Who is it?" Archie mouthes, sits down at the kitchen counter beside her.

  
"Reggie," she mouthes back.

  
"Give me the phone," Archie says with a grin, sneaking it out of her grip. Presses it to his ear before she can get out her “no.”

  
"V, what's going on?" Reggie asks, confused. Veronica stands up, tries to wrestle the phone out of Archie’s hand, eventually gives in.

  
"Hey, man.” Archie clears his throat. Veronica tries one last time to grab it from him but he moves out of her reach. “It's Archie. Look, I'm really sorry about how I acted before. You were right I was being a jerk."

  
“For lack of a better word,” Reggie snickers.

  
“Sorry,” Archie sighs. Veronica rolls her eyes, waits for Archie to give the phone back to her.

 

He does, eventually.

  
"Look, we have to get going. But I'll see you soon.” Veronica tells Reggie. Archie places his hand on top of hers, absentmindedly interlaces their fingers together. “And thank you for everything."

  
He manages to wait until she hangs up the phone before he starts laughing. Veronica glares at him. “What?”

  
"You miss Reggie," he says, mocking her.

  
Veronica shakes her head at him. “He's my friend."

  
Archie bends down and kisses her. It’s so strange how kissing her can feel so foreign, and yet seem like the most natural in the world. It amazes him.

  
She amazes him.

  
"Just your friend, right?" he asks; can’t help it.

  
"No, he’s actually my secret lover,” she rolls her eyes.

  
"And here I was, thinking that was me."

  
Veronica laughs, kisses him until everything feels numb. “Let's go home," she breathes against his lips.  
… 

 

She’s back behind the wheel, steadier than before, while Archie skips tracks on the Rumors album playing. He can’t seem to find one he likes; doesn’t want to listen to songs about hopeless, broken love. He wants to listen to something to match his mood; something bright and encouraging.

  
In the end, he chooses You Make Loving Fun. Plays it over and over for nearly three hours straight. Veronica doesn’t seem to mind or maybe she doesn’t notice, he can’t tell.

  
No matter how happy she is right now, Archie knows she’s still worried about what’s waiting for them in Riverdale. Namely, Betty, the girl that everyone always thought Archie would end up with. Riverdale isn’t exactly the epitome of home sweet home right now.

  
Things always seem to fall apart there and despite all that, here they are driving back.

  
As if reading his mind, she asks "maybe we should run away." It doesn’t sound like she’s completely joking.

  
"Isn't that what we've been doing all summer?" Archie asks.

  
_Yes_ , he tries to convince himself. _He is right_. This road trip had been a way for them to escape. It served its purpose. Archie isn’t hung up on Betty and Veronica is happy.

  
"Yeah," she agrees.

  
“It’s just four more months,” he says with a smile, “and then we’ll be going to college.”

  
In four months, when the leaves turn red and the air cools down, everything is going to change, again. They’ll all go off to different places, different cities, and different states.

  
Maybe all of this; his relationship with Betty and his fight with Jughead, would just seem petty then. In college, maybe everything would be easier. Maybe him and Veronica will end up in New York together. Maybe she’ll show him the city and he’ll fall in love with her all over again.

  
“Yeah,” she says. “What are you most looking forward to about college life?”

  
"I like being with people,” he says, “I want to stay up and cram with them, drinking coffee, and beer."

  
"You know that only happens in crappy teen movies."

  
"I thought you loved those" he smiles at her. Veronica narrows her eyes, glares at him. If she wasn’t driving she’d probably hit him.

  
The traffic jam forces Veronica to stop the car entirely. Archie takes the opportunity to lean over and kiss her cheek. She smiles at him and the car feels smaller, hotter. "This is terrible," he tells her, but he’s smiling wide and bright. "What don't we quit driving for today?"

  
He kisses her again while the car is at a standstill. Veronica scoffs, checks her watch.

  
She takes the next exit.  
...

 

“We’re almost there,” Veronica says, keeps his hand in hers, leading him through the tall trees. “I promise.”

  
She wanted to go for a walk; “just a few minutes,” she promised. But that was nearly an hour ago.

  
Archie isn’t exactly sure how they end up here— in the middle of the woods, dodging branches and fallen leaves. But here they are. “Ronnie,” he huffs, and she comes to a stop. Veronica lets his hand slip out of hers.

  
“Almost where?” Archie looks around while she fidgets with something on her dress. They’re literally in the middle of nowhere.

  
“You can relax, Archiekins,” she says with a smile, starts undoing the lace on the front of her coat, “we’re here.”

  
“What are you doing?” Archie asks. Her coat hits the ground in front of his feet.

  
“Getting in,” she says with a grin, cocks her head to one side. Archie’s eyes follow until they land on the small river tucked behind evergreen trees. She kisses him. It’s fast and not nearly enough to stop his heart thundering away. “Join me.”

  
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Archie says, but his eyes are stuck on Veronica as she undresses. She‘s good at it; knows exactly what she’s doing, stripping down in front of him, letting her dress fall to her ankles.

  
Veronica pulls her bottom lip between her teeth, looks up at him from under fluttering eyelashes. He wants to say more, to explain that they could catch a cold, maybe even pneumonia out here, but she’s already completely undressed saved for her lingerie.

  
She inches treacherously close to him, brushes her lips against his cheek. It sends shivers down his spine. “Don’t take too long, okay?” She whispers into his skin. Slowly makes her way across the grass and into the water.

  
Archie can just make out the distant sound of Veronica wading into the water. He suppresses a smile when he hears her gasp and curse the waters cold.

  
It’s past midnight and the dark, heady sky is illuminated only by the stars. Archie let’s out a long breath but doesn’t move.

  
For the record, he knows this is a bad idea.

  
The sound of his zipper rings through the cool air; the only thing Archie can hear apart from Veronica moving around in the water. He tosses his shirt to the ground next, letting it fall into the heap of discarded clothing. He can just make out her figure in the water, moonlight reflecting off of it.

  
"You coming in or what?" Veronica asks when he’s at the water's edge. The water shines in the light, looks as if it’s made of stardust or something ethereal.

  
Archie steps off the dock, splashing into the water. It isn’t as cold as he anticipated. He stays under the water, resurfaces a minute later, a little disoriented as Veronica appears at his side.

  
“Took you long enough,” she mutters, walking closer to him and running her fingers down his chest. Archie’s arms make their around her waist, and her legs wrap around him. Veronica leans in closer, her eyes flickering down and back up.

  
“Naturally,” Archie laughs, leaning closer. Veronica smiles up at him as if this is all a private joke.

  
She closes the small space between them, presses her lips to his eagerly. Her fingers run against his jaw, extending the kiss and making him shiver. “Naturally,” she echoes.  
...

  
“Can we not tell anyone about us yet?” She’s lying down next to him, hands folded in front of her as she looks up at him.

  
“What?”

  
“It’s just...” she starts, interlaces his fingers with hers. “I like living in our own bubble.” Archie presses a kiss to the back of her hand and she closes her eyes. “As soon as we tell people there are going to be rumors and opinions that... I don’t want to hear.”

  
“You want this to be a secret?” He’s trying his best but he can’t understand it.

  
“No,” she replies instantly. “No... But I want to tell Betty first.” Archie nods. “I need to know that she’s okay with this.”

  
He wants to tell her that it doesn’t matter what Betty thinks. If she cared at all who he was in a relationship with she never would’ve broken up with him in the first place. But he gets it; understands why Veronica doesn’t want to see Betty hurt.

  
So instead he asks, “what if she isn’t?”

  
“I don’t know.”  
...

 

_**ii. today** _

 

****  
For a second it’s as if time stands still. As if the earth itself stops spinning and everything just comes to a screeching halt.

  
Because it’s _Archie_. 

  

The wind blows her hair out of place and knocks the air out of her lungs.

  
He’s here.

  
After she did everything she could to get over him, to repair the damage he’d done.

  
He says her name again. Restarts everything; the world is spinning again, making up for lost time, full speed ahead.

  
“No,” Veronica says firmly. She brushes right past him and toward the door to her building.

  
“Veronica!” He shouts this time but she doesn’t turn around. Ignores him, and shuffles around in her coat pocket for her key instead. “Can we please talk?” He asks softly. She can feel everything slowly coming undone. “Just for a minute.”

  
She finds her key, buried under a receipt from weeks ago.

  
She stops in front of the metal door, turns to face him. “You shouldn’t be here.” Her brain feels fuzzy and her eyes sting.

  
He takes a step forward and she takes two back. “But I am. I’m here.” She closes her eyes. The air is cold and she wishes herself awake from this nightmare. “Shouldn’t that mean something?” He whispers, moving closer.

  
She can’t move.

  
She nods slowly. “It does.” She says coldly. “It means you wasted your time and money.”

  
“Ronnie.” He says again, tries to stop her. But the door is already open when she turns to face him again.

  
“Stop,” She breathes, a puff of hot air coming out as she does. “Just stop, okay? I can’t do this right now.”

  
She steps into the building, shuts the door behind her before he has the chance to say anything.

  
It takes her all night to finally be able to catch her breath again.   
....

  
  
“V? Hey,” Betty says into the phone. Veronica can tell by her tone that she already knows what this is about. Still, she says, “ how are you?”

  
Veronica scoffs. “You knew didn’t you?” She asks with a dry laugh. It’s been almost three days and she still hasn’t been able to calm herself down.

  
Damn him for showing up and uprooting her new life— one she’d only had to build because of him. “That he was coming.”

  
She hears Betty sigh. “Yeah, I’m sorry,” and then, “but now that he is there... are you maybe considering-“

  
“Giving him a second chance?” Veronica interrupts her loudly. The phone almost slips out of her hand. The thought hasn’t even crossed her mind. She lets out a laugh, bitter and cold and dry. “No.” She doesn’t want to, isn’t ready to. “Of course not.”

  
“Why not?” Betty asks, voice laced with concern. It seems fitting; she’s been at the center of this all along, She always was the most important thing Archie and Veronica seemed to have in common.

  
“We tried it before.” She hates this; the situation, being this far away, all of it. She wishes she could hate Archie instead. “And we didn’t work.”

  
“Are you sure you gave yourself a chance to?”  
... 

  
He shows up every day after that, at the bar, outside her apartment. She’d probably find it romantic if he wasn’t the last person she wanted to see.

  
Instead, she ignores him every day for a week.

  
“Loverboy was at the bar again tonight,” Toni tells her when she walks into the apartment, drops her keys and jacket onto the kitchen counter carelessly.

  
It’s Friday night and instead of going out Veronica’s spending the evening wallowing in self-pity. She wastes the night away on the couch, buried under three blankets, devouring a tub of rocky road and watching trashy reality television.

  
“He asked about you.”

  
Veronica winces shuts her eyes when Toni flips on the lights. “Don’t call him that,” she says, grabs the remote so she can turn off the screen.

  
Toni rolls her eyes. “Anyway, he got into a fight with someone and Jimmy kicked them both out.”

  
“Oh,” she mutters, surprised.

  
“Yeah,” Toni collapses onto the couch next to her. “What happened between you two anyway?”

She doesn't really feel like talking, or thinking, about him tonight.

Still, she tells her, “I was in love with him and he was in love with my best friend.” She hasn’t ever said it out loud before, not with such brutal honesty. It feels strange.

  
“If you ask me,” Toni says with the hint of a smile, “it doesn’t look like he’s in love with someone else. It looks like he’s in love with you.”

  
“Yeah, it’s looked like that before.” Veronica says softly, “Archie and Betty always end up together.”

  
“Sorry,” Toni smiles, rests her head on Veronica’s shoulder. “Sounds intense.”

  
“Yeah,” Veronica nods.

  
“So what now?” Toni asks, looks up at her again.

  
“Nothing.” Veronica states.

  
_Nothing_. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * sorry this took forever
> 
> * if you’d like to chat with me about this fic or varchie or just.. anything in general, you can find me on tumblr @veronicasloddge !!
> 
> As always, I'd love to hear what you guys think of this chapter!


	10. part 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They pass the school, The Pembrooke, the park, Pop’s diner. It all looks exactly the same. As if time had stopped when they left, everything paused, and it was only just now restarting.

_**i. one month ago**_  

 

“And we're home" Archie murmurs, hands still gripping the wheel. The first thing she thinks is that it looks nothing like everywhere they’ve been. Riverdale is dark and empty, seems so much smaller than she remembers.

 

It‘s past midnight and this isn’t Nashville, here people go to sleep at an appropriate hour.

 

"It looks so small" Veronica muses, her fingers drumming away on the dashboard.

 

They pass the school, The Pembrooke, the park, Pop’s diner. It all looks exactly the same. As if time had stopped when they left, everything paused, and it was only just now restarting. No one is out, but Veronica feels like crying anyway.

 

She‘s been dreading coming back for weeks, scared that the aftershocks of her and Archie leaving on this road trip are waiting for her. Still, this is her home. Riverdale is the only home she knows. The people here are a part of her. She can’t just ignore that.

 

And for now, at least, for these few fleeting moments, the streets are theirs.

 

"The picnic’s tomorrow," Archie says. She nods slowly.

 

Like she could forget. The Sweet Water River Picnic is one of the most anticipated events of the year; one last chance for everyone to unwind and have some fun before exams before everyone disappears for the summer. Veronica had managed to smile her way into planning and organizing it for the last 3 years, making sure every detail was perfect. This year that responsibility had fallen on Betty’s shoulders, naturally.

 

"I know.”

 

"You’re going, right?" He looks across at her and she nods again. She isn’t exactly the type of girl that would miss it.

 

"I'll pick you up," he offers, "noon-ish?" Veronica meets his eyes with a smile, opens her mouth to say something but he beats her to it. “In a platonic, friendly kind of way.” He laughs, mimics zipping his lips shut.

 

Veronica rolls her eyes. “Sure.”

 

His car pulls up outside her house; a small apartment building her mom had kept all these years as a safety net, a plan b in case they ever needed one. They did.

 

He parks the car outside the front door. "This is it, I guess" Archie smiles. She smiles back. She feels tired all of a sudden, extremely tired. Like she hasn’t slept in weeks. Like she wants to climb into her own bed and sleep for days on end. “Just like that.”

 

“Just like that," she whispers.

 

"Thanks, for dragging me along on this crazy trip,” he says with a smile.

 

"Anytime.”

 

He gets out of the car and makes his way around it to open the door for her. “Thanks,” she breathes. He kisses her slowly. Veronica savors every second of it, memorizes every detail of him and tucks it away in a little folder in her mind.

 

"You want these?" he asks, stretching over her. He ejects the Rumors/album and pulls her CD out from under a map she hasn’t looked at in forever.

 

She shakes her head, “you keep them.”

"Okay,” he nods, helps her out of the car and takes out her luggage.

 

“I got it,” She assures him, carrying one bag in each hand. "Good night, Archiekins.” She presses a kiss to his cheek

 

“Good night,” He mutters, climbing back into the car. Veronica starts off toward the front door. “Ronnie!” He calls out as her hand touches the cold metal handle of the door. She turns to face him, drops her heaviest bag at her feet.

 

“Thanks,” He murmurs, window rolled down, a big goofy grin that she’d fallen in love with on his face.

 

Then he drives off into the darkness, around the corner, out of her view, and it’s really over.

 

Just like that; they’re back.

…

 

"Veronica!" Veronica jumps at the sudden sound, heart racing as Cheryl came toward her in the empty hallway.

 

She’s been staying in one of the empty apartments with her Nana Rose, ever since she moved out of Thistlehouse months ago. “You’re back?” She asks, surprised.

 

"Yeah," Veronica nods. It still feels weird. Her bags fall out of her hands when Cheryl pulls her into a warm hug. Veronica sighs.

 

"I thought you’d fallen off the face of the earth!" Cheryl smiles, bright and red as always. It surprisingly calms Veronica, helps her realize that she did miss this place.

 

Veronica rolls her eyes. "Sorry,” she says, not sure why she does. “I meant to call.”

 

"Oh well, at least you’re back." Veronica can’t help but smile back when Cheryl offers her a warm and genuine grin. She nods silently.

 

"Yeah," Veronica confirms.

 

“I’m happy you’re back.” Cheryl beams, eyes wide. She doesn’t ask about the trip or anything else.

 

“Happy to be back.” Veronica smiles, pulling her in for another hug. And she is; happy to back, she realizes. At least, for now, it feels good to be home.

 

"Welcome home!" Cheryl mumbles before disappearing into her own apartment.

…

 

Veronica carries her bags up to her room, dropping them onto the hardwood floors carelessly before she goes down to the kitchen.

 

The house is a mess— covered in dust that dates back to weeks before she and Archie had even left. Veronica’s never really been the cleaning type.

 

She pours herself a glass of water, makes her way back up to her room. Decides to unpack her bags can wait until tomorrow. The cleaning too.

 

Her room is exactly the way she left it, pictures of Veronica, Betty, Archie and Jughead, she and her parents, the snow globe of a street in Paris she had since she was twelve. She wasn’t expecting much to change but still, everything in here feels like it’s from a different lifetime.

 

It all seems so foreign to her now, so much has changed since she’s last been here.

 

She shuts off the lights and climbs into her bed. This she’s missed. She’s missed the comfort of her bed and all the things she can feel behind four walls.

 

Sleeping alone feels different now, stranger. She’s spent the last two months sharing a room with Archie—fallen asleep to the rhythmic sound of his breathing for weeks— if not a bed as well. She’s spent nearly every waking hour of the day with him.

 

Her bed feels bigger and emptier.

 

And she misses him already. Which is absurd because she saw him less than an hour ago, but she does. She misses his hair and his arms wrapping around her and the way he says her name in the darkness.

 

As if on cue, just like they’ve been on the same wavelength this entire time, her phone buzzes next to her, lighting up her room; makes it look bright and fluorescent.

 

A text from Archie, of course, because even miles away he can read her mind. It says, ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’

…

 

“You’re late,” she says, answering the phone. The sun is shining, creeping in through the windows and Veronica’s drumming her fingers on her legs as she circles the kitchen counter impatiently.

 

In his defense, it’s only five minutes late but still, she’s feeling anxious and this isn’t helping.

 

“Sorry,” he says, “I missed my alarm.” Veronica feels herself relax a little. “I need a few more minutes.” He says hurriedly. She can picture him scurrying around his bedroom, searching for a clean shirt because it’s been 2 months and he’s only done laundry twice. “Why don’t you come over though? We can leave from here.”

 

Veronica considers his offer, straightens out her dress. “My dad made pancakes,” Archie says excitedly as if it’ll make her want to go to him. As if she needs a reason.

 

“I’ll be there soon,” she smiles, laughs a little when he lets out a triumphant “yes!”

...

 

"Hey!" someone calls from behind them. Veronica and Archie both turn toward the sound; Kevin. He looks different. He got a haircut. It makes him look like someone new altogether. “God, I’m glad you’re back.” He smiles, pulls her into a tight hug.

 

Veronica thinks about the last time she spoke to him. She can’t remember much of what they spoke about; only him saying she was betraying Betty for leaving with Archie right before she hung up. “Me too,” she replies honestly.

 

"Can I talk to you?" Kevin mumbles, eyes Archie cautiously. Archie doesn’t move and Veronica is thankful for it, she won’t be able to make it through today without him by her side. Kevin shrugs, drops his shoulders defeatedly. “About before...” he starts, plays with the straw in his drink. “I was out of line on the phone. I had no right to say the things that I said.”

 

"Oh." Veronica sighs. She can’t sense any malice or sarcasm in his tone. He looks sincere.

 

"I'm sorry."

 

"It's okay." Veronica grins. She thinks maybe this will all work out, maybe everyone will be this easy and today will pass by in no time.

 

She isn’t mad at him, really. On the contrary, she understands where he was coming from. And in the end, he was right. She and Archie did fall in love and that revelation is probably going hurt Betty more than either of them ever wanted to.

 

"Come and sit with us,” he urges her, points to something she can’t see. There’s a banner behind him; ‘Celebrating Sweet Water River’ in big blue letters."We're over there."

 

“I would love to!” Veronica nods eagerly and Kevin finally turns to Archie.

 

"Hey," he says softly, offering him a small wave.

 

"Hi.”

 

"Let's eat!” Kevin says excitedly, leading them to the rest of their friends. Archie gives Veronica’s hand a quick squeeze before they follow him.

…

 

They’re all seated on a pale blue blanket; in the middle of a blur of movement and color and people she doesn’t recognize. And then she sees Reggie— laughing at something Josie just said. Cheryl is there too, she offers Veronica a warm smile when she sees her and it helps calm some of the nerves she’s feeling.

 

And Betty.

 

Veronica almost chokes on whatever special cocktail she’d been drinking when she sees her.

 

She looks gorgeous. The sun has given her skin a golden tone and her hair is longer. She’s wearing a simple blue dress and a pair of sneakers. She laughs at something Josie says; the perfect girl next door. As she has always been.

 

Veronica looks at Archie, looks for a reaction, but she doesn’t get anything.

 

"Look who I found," Kevin says, and they all look up. Reggie flashes her a bright grin and she can’t help but smile back despite her feeling like her stomach is in her throat.

 

“You’re back!” Betty’s face lights up with a huge smile. She quickly gets up to her feet, tucks her hair behind her ears. “I missed you,” she says brightly. For a second Veronica thinks she’s talking to Archie, but Betty pulls her into a hug and squeezes her tightly.

 

Betty doesn’t look like she’d been sulking for two months. She doesn’t seem mad, or hurt, or phased at all by anything that’s happened in the last eight weeks. She looks more beautiful than ever.

 

Her happiness is contagious.

 

Veronica steals another quick look at Archie, but his face doesn’t give anything away.

 

“Great, more food!” Reggie says, winking at Veronica, trying to take away some of the tension.

 

“Help yourself,” Archie says awkwardly, taking the basket from Veronica’s hand and placing it on the blanket.

 

"Sit,” Betty says with a smile, gracefully sitting down onto the picnic mat. “You have to tell us. Where have you guys been? How was it?"

 

Veronica tries to meet Archie's eye, but he‘s helping Reggie fill his plate. "Everywhere," he says in his usual calm voice.

 

"Be less specific," Betty laughs, rolls her eyes. Archie looks up and smiles at her. Veronica swallows hard.

 

"Small towns mostly," he elaborates, takes a seat on the edge of the blanket. "And Nashville,” he smiles up at Veronica.

 

She smiles back half-heartedly.

 

"Ronnie,” Josie says, standing up, pulling Veronica out of her train of thought. “You mind helping me with the music?"

…

 

She’s not even two feet away from the picnic blanket when her phone buzzes. She pulls it out of her skirt’s pocket to read the text, it’s from Archie, ‘I miss you already :(‘

 

Veronica looks over her shoulder and Archie is staring at her, giving her his best pout. She rolls her eyes, texts him back, ‘maybe you should’ve shown up on time this morning I could’ve made it worth your while’

 

Josie waves a hand in front of her face dramatically and Veronica looks up at her. “The speakers are on the stage,” she says and Veronica nods. “You can wait here while I get the key.”

 

Her phone buzzes again. ‘I don’t know that thing you did in the car was pretty great.’

 

Veronica can feel herself blushing. She smiles at the screen, unconsciously pulls her bottom lip between her teeth. ‘That was nothing compared to what I had in mind, Archiekins ;)’

 

‘Maybe we can get out of here and you can show me what you had in mind ;)’

 

Veronica looks over her shoulder, flashes Archie a bright smile and then texts back ‘Maybe.’

 

“Got it!” Josie says with a smile, appearing in front of Veronica just as she’s putting her phone away.

...

 

The speakers are huge and the same ones that had been used on every prom and dance since Veronica moved to Riverdale. Probably even before that. Probably since her mom was in high school.

 

"Betty arranged this?" Veronica asks absentmindedly while Josie adjusts the speakers.

 

She can’t see Archie from here.

 

"Yeah," Josie says looking up at her, meeting her eyes for a fraction of a second before she goes back to the wires.

 

Veronica feels a little uneasy at that. Planning these kinds of things had always been her thing.

 

But she isn’t mad at Betty. Not for that or anything else. If anything she’s just scared. Scared that being here, seeing Betty again, is all Archie needs to realize that everything that happened between the two of them was a mistake.

 

And it makes no sense, really. Because she’s not usually an insecure person, never has been. For all the things that have happened to her, Veronica has always been so sure of herself.

 

It all feels different with Archie. Because she loves him, and even she knows that he loves her too. But he and Betty have history... he and Betty are unfinished.

 

"So.. you and Archie?" Josie asks, working away at the speakers. “How long has that been going on?”

 

“What?!” Veronica asks incredulously, tries to make it look as genuine as she can. “No... We’re not... We’re friends.”

 

Josie stands up straight, tries turning on the speaker. It starts blasting a song that Veronica doesn’t recognize, Josie smiles proudly. “Yeah,” She says, rolling her eyes, “I’m not buying that.” Veronica stares at her. “I’m not blind, Veronica.”

 

Veronica sighs, drops her shoulders and looks across the crowded park. “Is it that obvious?” She closes her eyes for a second, letting out a worried laugh.

 

“Please,” Josie scoffs, links her arm with Veronica’s happily. “That boy could not keep his eyes off of you for two seconds!”

 

Veronica stares at the ground, feels herself blushing in the heat.

 

“So... how long?”

 

“A while now.” Veronica smiles, checks her phone for another text but there aren’t any.

 

“You’re glowing!” Josie exclaims as they start walking back to their friends. She sighs, “ I assume you haven’t said anything because of Betty?”

 

Veronica nods, “I’m not sure how she’ll take it.”

 

“Probably not too well,” Josie scoffs, shakes her head. Veronica looks at her pointedly. “She’s been a mess the last few months. Ever since you guys left.” She explains.

 

“Oh,” Veronica drops her shoulders defeatedly. Before she has the chance to say anything else, they spot the gang. Reggie waving them over, and Archie and Betty talking. No, more than that. They’re speaking to each other. Archie says something and it makes Betty laugh. She leans in close and he follows. Her hand falls onto his knee.

 

Veronica feels sick. She can practically hear their little bubble breaking, as the realization dawns on her; they’re back now, back in Riverdale. In reality whatever Archie felt for her pales in comparison to what he feels for Betty.

 

It hurts.

 

It hurts because she thought, for one fleeting moment, that maybe Archie was everything she’s been waiting for her entire life.

 

But he was never really hers.

 

This is all it takes. One moment, one laugh, one look at Betty playfully ruffling Archie’s hair and she’s done. She’s an insecure, vulnerable mess.

 

Veronica feels so... stupid. Naive, even. She should’ve seen this coming all along. She should have expected it.

 

She feels everything at once, like a volcano finally erupting. It all comes crashing down in one quick second.

 

And then she can’t stop thinking about it.

 

How did she think that she could compete with Betty and the history that the two of them had? Betty was always going to be the one for Archie. A few weeks with Veronica would never change that.

 

It’s pretty simple actually. It makes sense. If she’d been on that road trip with anyone other than Archie it probably would’ve ended the same way.

 

It has nothing to do with love.

 

They’d been alone together for weeks. For weeks he’d been trying to convince himself he was over Betty. It makes sense that he’d think he was in love with Veronica.

 

Being alone with someone for such a long time can mess with your mind. She wishes that her feelings for him had been just her mind playing tricks on her.

 

She suddenly can’t be here for even a minute longer. Not just the picnic, but Riverdale. She’s been back for less than twelve hours and she already wants to leave.

 

She needs to leave. Her mind is spinning and everything hurts.

 

“Uh, I actually need to grab something from the car,” she tells Josie. Her throat feels dry and sore. “I’ll catch up with you guys in a minute.”

…

 

The doorbell rings and she doesn’t want to answer it. Because after everything, after telling herself they aren’t working out at least a hundred times, she still hopes it’s him on the other side of the door.

 

It’s not.

 

“Hey,” Reggie says, pushes past her into the apartment. He looks around, surprised. She still hasn’t gotten around to cleaning it.

 

“Hey,” she mumbles back. She's still shutting the door when he speaks again.

 

"You left the picnic before it even started.” It sounds like a question. His face is so familiar and kind that she wants to hug him.

 

"I was tired," Veronica responds feebly.

 

Reggie tilts his head to one side, cocks an eyebrow as if to say ‘bullshit.’ Instead, he asks, “Can I have a cup of coffee?"

 

Veronica follows him to the kitchen, pulls a mug out of the cupboard with shaking hands. At least she’d wiped down the counter last night— she had to, she was starving and needed to make herself a real meal.

 

"You sounded happy on the phone," Reggie says sadly. He knows. Knows that something’s changed.

 

“I was,” Veronica says, quickly corrects herself, “I am.”

 

"You’re a horrible liar,” he sighs. They both stare in silence at the kettle as it boils. When it’s done Veronica picks it up and starts to make a pot of coffee. “You look like shit, by the way.”

 

Veronica can’t help but laugh at that. “So do you.” She feels some of the tension leave her body.

 

“Josie’s mad at me.” He scoffs, takes the cup of coffee from Veronica’s hands. She shakes her head. “What’s your excuse?”

 

"I already told you,” Veronica sighs, pulls up a seat next to his. “I’m tired.”

 

"Okay,” Reggie says, drops his shoulders. Veronica wonders when Reggie freaking Mantle, of all people, became one of her closest friends. "It's him, isn't it?" He asks.

 

"Yes." She’s tired; tired of pretending and just generally tired.

 

"What did he do?"

 

"Made me fall in love with him.” She says. It would be so much easier if she could just blame him for all of this.

 

“Damn,” Reggie frowns, places a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. “Does he love you back?”

 

"No."

 

"Why not?" She wants to tell him how much she appreciates him being here for her, taking her side, but she doesn’t have the energy.

 

"He loves her. He might not realize it, but I do. I can try all I want, but he will always be hers." She only realizes once she’s said it that her eyes are wet. She dabs at them with the back of her thumb.

 

"I'm sorry," Reggie whispers. He wraps an arm around her shoulder comfortingly.

 

"Not your fault."

 

“No,” he smiles, “not yours either.” Reggie puts his mug down and stands up, helps Veronica to her feet. “Get some sleep,” he tells her.

 

"Okay," she’s too exhausted to fight him. Not that she’ll be able to sleep now. There are tears streaming down her face and she can feel her mascara running.

 

"It will be okay, V," Reggie assures her. "I promise."

…

 

The next morning, bright and early, Betty and Kevin are waiting for her at her locker. The school looks exactly the same. The halls look exactly the same. Everything looks the same and feels so foreign.

 

If this had been last year, Veronica would have walked up to them, so sure of herself, ready to take on a new year with her best friends by her side. Now she feels small and still exhausted. All she wants to do is go home and curl up in bed again.

 

"Hey," Betty smiles as soon as she sees her, pulls Veronica into a hug instantly. “We missed you yesterday. Where did you disappear to?” Her voice is perky and warm and excited.

 

"Sorry," she sighs, tries to get to her locker but her path is blocked. “I was really tired.”

 

“Oh,” Betty sighs, looking genuinely concerned. Of course, she is, Veronica thinks. She’s the perfect best friend.

 

She feels selfish and guilty.

 

“Well, are you feeling better?” Betty asks, a small smile on her lips. Veronica nods silently. “Great!” Betty exclaims, claps her hands excitedly.

 

Kevin moves to put one arm around Betty's shoulders and the other around Veronica’s.

 

“It doesn’t matter, anyway.” Betty sighs. "We're all together again" She smiles warmly. "Finally."

 

Veronica searches her best friends face. No. There are no schemes or hidden agendas in Betty's eyes. There have never been. She‘s always wanted what’s best for her friends.

 

What kind of a person would ever do anything to hurt someone like Betty?

 

"Yes,” Kevin exhales.

 

Veronica doesn’t say anything. One part of her wants to run home and run away. The other wants to spend the whole day surrounded by her friends. People who love her— genuinely, truly love her.

 

"You have to tell us about the trip" Betty begs her, links her arm with Veronica’s. "Archie was so secretive about it."

 

Archie.

 

Hearing his name fall from her lips makes Veronica feel nauseous. _Archie_.

 

"It wasn't a big deal,” she says, checking the time on her watch. The bell should ring any second now. “Nothing special happened," she smiles weakly.

 

"Please!” Kevin says, sighs dramatically. " _Something_ must have happened!"

 

Veronica can’t seem to think of anything to say. She opens her mouth to speak but she’s saved by the bell ringing through the hallway just as she starts.

 

It sends them all rushing off to their first test and Veronica tries to avoid her friends all day.

 

She doesn’t want to talk about the trip. She doesn’t want to think about it. She wants to forget it ever happened.

…

 

Of course, he’s waiting for her after school.

 

She doesn’t see him all day, manages to avoid him whenever she needs to.

 

She doesn’t see him outside either. At first, she walks out of school with Betty and Kevin— she’d had last period with them. She isn’t looking for a car, isn’t looking for him, so she doesn’t find him. He steps out of his car and places a hand on hers, pulls her to the side.

 

Veronica jumps.

 

"Hey,” Archie says. He’s wearing his letterman jacket again. She hasn’t seen him in it in months, almost forgot how good it looks on him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

 

"She's been like that all day," Betty says, appearing behind them, nodding her head vigorously.

 

"Like what?" he asks.

 

"Like she's sleepwalking."

 

"Do you feel okay?" Betty asks Veronica, places a hand on her shoulder, concerned.

 

Veronica puts on a brave face and smiles. "Yeah." She nods, “I am.”

 

"Can I talk to you?" Archie asks. Veronica and Betty both stare at him.

 

"I’ll see you tomorrow, V," Betty says, giving her a quick hug before walking away, catching up to Kevin. Archie opens the door to the passenger seat and Veronica slides in while he makes his way around the car and gets in.

 

His face is impassive.

 

Archie doesn’t drive off once he gets in, only shuts the door and looks at her expectantly. Veronica can’t meet his eyes.

 

"What's wrong?" he asks, sounds so genuinely concerned it physically hurts her.

 

"I'm just tired,” she sighs. She’s been using the same excuse for the last two days, knows he can see right through it.

 

"Reggie mentioned something," he says, scratching his forehead like he needs to think about it. “About coming to see you last night.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“He said you weren’t feeling well.” She shakes her head, mutters a soft ‘no’. Archie sighs, lifts her chin to look at him. "Veronica, what's going on?"

 

She finally looks at him. His eyes are wide and hopeful. He looks as exhausted as she feels.

 

"I wish I never asked you to come with me to Memphis," she says— blunt, harsh, cold. The truth.

 

Archie looks like he’s just been slapped.

 

"Why?" he asks.

 

"It fucked everything up."

 

"What is fucked up?" He sounds hurt.

 

She looks away from him again. "Everything. You and me. Me and Betty. Even me and Kevin."

 

"I'm sorry, Ronnie.” He whispers, takes her hand in his and she lets him. “I wish I could help."

 

"I know you do." She nods, putting her hand on the handle to open the door but Archie stops her.

 

“Veronica, you saved me.” He breathes. Veronica can’t tell if it’s her own heart racing or his. “I was falling apart and you made me happier than I’ve ever been. Doesn’t that make it worthwhile?”

 

It should.

 

"I'm happy for you," she says, pulls her hand out of his so he can’t feel it shaking, “really.”

 

Then she climbs out of the car and within seconds, she’s gone; so far away she can’t see his car.

…

 

She realizes, halfway through unpacking, that she has nowhere to go if she does leave.

 

Memphis seemed like a lovely place but Veronica can’t imagine really living there. And besides her mom? There’s nowhere, no one for her to run to. Riverdale is the only place she’d ever felt at home, the only place with people that care about her.

 

She checks her phone, there are three missed calls from Archie and one from Betty. She shuts it off and throws it back onto her bed.

 

She’s not sure where she and Archie stand; if they’re broken up or just in a fight now.

 

She’s not sure where she wants them to stand.

…

 

There’s another knock on the door, another time she opens it with baited breath and shaking hands.

 

Another time it’s not Archie.

 

"Jughead?" she croaks, surprised. He’s whatever comes after the last person she’d ever expected to be here. “What are you doing here?”

 

"Can I come in?" He asks. Veronica nods, moves out of the doorway so he can enter, follows frustratedly as he makes his way to the kitchen.

 

"What is it?" Veronica asks. His head is in her fridge, rummaging through its contents. He shuts the door, disappointed when he finds nothing. She’s not sure what he was expecting; she hasn’t been living here for months.

 

"Nothing.” Jughead sighs, dejectedly makes his way to the couch and sits down. “ I just wanted to catch up.”

 

"I bet,” Veronica scoffs. She hits his feet off the coffee table and Jughead sits upright, rolls his eyes.

 

"I don't know what you did to Archie,” Jughead starts, “but he's not pissed at me."

 

"I didn't do anything."

 

"Yeah, you did." Veronica shakes her head again. Jughead sighs, leans back. "He thinks you're mad at him."

 

Veronica scoffs, "What game are you playing, Jughead? Since when do you care about me? Or Archie?"

 

"Ouch."

 

Veronica rolls her eyes again, walks out of the room, toward the front door and Jughead follows her.

 

"I'm not stupid, Veronica" he sneers, comes to a halt in front of the door.

 

"You could have fooled me." Veronica bites.

 

Jughead stares at her incredulously for a second and then lets out a loud laugh, bitter almost. "All I know,” he drawls, "is that Archie hated me and Betty. And then he goes away for a few weeks with you and when he comes home, he likes us again."

 

"He loves you," Veronica says. "The both of you."

 

" _What happened_?"

 

"Nothing,” Veronica replies tiredly. “Nothing that matters."

 

Jughead sighs, shakes his head at her. "Did you sleep with Reggie last night?"

 

Veronica’s eyes go wide. “What?” Jughead states at her expectantly, cocks an eyebrow. "No! God, Jughead, where the hell did that come from?”

 

"He told Archie he spent the night."

 

"Not that it’s any of your business, but he crashed on the couch." She sighs, sits down onto the couch next to him. “Did Archie send you here?” Jughead cocks his head to one side and Veronica rolls her eyes.

 

"You're in love with him" Jughead scoffs.

 

“Reggie?” Veronica asks innocently, knows that’s not what he means. Jughead waits, stares at her pointedly for her to give in. Veronica shrugs.

 

"You are,“ he says, “then why aren’t you talking to him?"

 

She wants to slap him. Since when does Jughead care at all about her relationship with Archie?

 

“Why aren’t _you_ talking to Betty?”

 

He looks surprised. Like he didn’t expect her to say that, didn’t expect her to go there. “We broke up,” he clears his throat. “I’m giving her space.”

 

“She broke up with you, you mean.” She says bluntly. Jughead recoils. Veronica sighs, “why do you think?”

 

“What are you getting at, Veronica?”

 

Veronica shuts her eyes."She will always love Archie,” she starts, “and he will always love her." Jughead freezes for a second, goes almost completely still like a deer in headlights. Veronica swallows down the lump in her throat. "We can try to fight it, you and I. But it doesn't change anything."

 

"I think he loves you," Jughead whispers, doesn’t sound convinced.

 

"He thinks he does too. And maybe.. maybe he does. But not like he loves her."

 

She waits. Waits for him to tell her she’s wrong, to contradict her. She wants him to. She wants him to fight her on this and convince her she’s wrong. He doesn’t, only nods silently.

 

"Okay," he says after a beat, gets up off the couch and follows her to the door.

 

"Okay," she echoes.

....

 

_**ii. today**_  

 

 

Filling out applications is nothing like Veronica imagined it being. She always pictured a movie-montage kind of day; ticking boxes and sealing envelopes and pressing on stamps.

 

Instead, it’s long, endless, tiring hours of filling in the same information over and over. A whole lot of five hundred word essays, each asking something different, looking for a different answer. She’s certain that she’s going to come out of today with a swollen wrist.

 

She applies everywhere, all over the country, anyone that will have her— ‘daughter of convicted felon Hiram Lodge’ doesn’t have the best ring to it. And as it turns out, taking two months off of school to drive across the country wasn’t so great for her grades.

 

She applies everywhere, even New York— even though she has it on good authority that a certain redhead will be attending NYU in the fall.

 

It’s a big city.

 

She thinks she can manage not running into him every day. At all.

 

He’s still in L.A. She knows because he’s shown up at the bar every night for a week now. She’s managed to completely ignore him every time, leaves out the back door before her set is finished. Before he notices.

 

Yes, it’s childish. She’s aware of that. But she’s not ready to face him, not ready to be vulnerable again.

 

Not yet.

...

 

Her next gig is a daytime one. The crowd isn’t as big which means fewer tips but she takes it without hesitation because there’s no way he’ll know to be there at noon.

 

He isn’t and Veronica feels instantly relieved.

 

The band is another new one, they call themselves Gold Coin and Veronica doesn’t ask why. They look like they’re still in high school, still getting the hang of it. They play like it too.

 

She’s in the middle of her performance, halfway through the second verse when he walks in. Not, Archie... Reggie.

 

Veronica has to do a double take, almost freezes in the middle of her set when she sees him. He meets her eyes from across the room, smirks at her surprised grin and takes a seat on one of the stools at the back.

 

When her set is over, she makes her way through folded tables and empty chairs to him, pulls him into a hug. He’s the closest she’s come to home in weeks.

 

“What the hell are you doing here?” She asks, tucks her hair behind her ears. It feels odd not seeing him in his Bulldogs jacket. Veronica has to remind herself that he doesn’t have a reason to wear it anymore; they graduated— and she missed it.

 

“He asked me to come,” Reggie says. Veronica doesn’t have to ask to know who he’s talking about. She looks around the bar instinctively. “He’s not here,” Reggie assures her and Veronica heaves a sigh of relief.

 

“A heads up would’ve been nice.” Veronica scoffs, making her way around the bar.

 

She fills a pitcher of root beer, slides it over to him and Reggie looks offended.

 

“Don’t you have anything stronger?”

 

“Managers watching,” Veronica says, points him out on the other end of the bar. “Sorry,” Reggie sighs, takes the glass from her.

 

Veronica makes her way back to him, sits on the chair next to his. “Can you ask him to leave?” She says exasperatedly, runs a hand through her hair.

 

“I don’t think he will without you,” he says. Veronica wants to scream. At him. At Archie.

 

It scares her how certainly he says it.

 

“He’s wasting his time,” she says firmly instead.

 

“Is he?“ Reggie asks, cocks an eyebrow. Veronica stares at him incredulously.

 

“Yes!” Veronica replies instantaneously, raises her voice and it turns a few heads in their direction. She mumbles a quick apology before turning back to Reggie. He looks exactly the same as he did the last time she saw him. “Reggie, I’m finally in a place where I feel like I can move on, I’ve finally reached some semblance of normality again.” She says it all in one breath, rushed and loud. “I can’t... I won’t...” she trails off.

 

“Okay,” Reggie nods. He takes another sip of the drink, winces at the taste. “Can I ask how you’ve been?” He says, a grin playing at his lips.

 

Veronica smiles, “sure.” She stands up, takes his hand in hers and pulls him behind her. “Come with me,” she says with a wink, “I’m pretty sure I can get us some of the strong stuff.”

...

 

“So,” Reggie starts, “L.A.?”

 

They’re in the supply closet, sharing a bottle of tequila that she’ll probably have to end up paying for. She won’t get fired over it though, she never does.

 

Veronica takes a sip from the bottle. It stings her throat. “Why not L.A.?” She asks and Reggie shrugs. “I don’t know,” she says, “somehow I just kind of ended up here. And I like it.”

 

“Of course you do,” Reggie nods, a playful smirk on his lips, “everyone looks like that.” Veronica follows his line of sight to Toni, taking inventory in the back of the room.

 

Veronica rolls her eyes, glares at him. “I thought you were supposed to be in a serious relationship,” she says firmly, lets him take a sip from the bottle, “or did you somehow manage to screw that up?”

 

He shakes his head proudly. “Nope,” he says, “still going strong.”

 

Veronica smiles at him, presses her lips into a thin line. “That’s great!” She says. Who would’ve ever thought Reggie would be better at relationships than her? Reggie’s smile starts to slowly fade as his face gets serious, he places the bottle on the ground beside them. Veronica can tell where this is going before he starts talking. “Don’t,” she breathes but he’s already started.

 

“So how long are you going to ignore the elephant in the room for?” Veronica shakes her head at him. “Come on, V,” he scoffs, “you didn’t really think I was just going to drop it.”

 

“No,” she replies, “but I thought you’d at least wait until I was a little more drunk.”

 

He laughs half-heartedly, watches her closely. “How long are you going to keep punishing him?”

 

Veronica scoffs, reaches for the bottle but he stops her. “I’m not the bad guy here,” she tells him, “Archie’s the one who messed up. Just because he shows up here out of the blue doesn’t mean I’m going to forgive him for everything.”

 

“I know,” Reggie says. He seems sincere. “I’m not asking you too. But just... hear him out.”

...

 

It feels like deja vu.

 

“You’ve got to stop doing this,” she says. It’s colder tonight, her hands are shaking and Archie’s outside her apartment again.

 

“Hey,” he says, ignores her previous statement. Veronica comes to a halt right in front of him.

 

“Hi,” she says softly, waves a hand in front of his face to stop him when he opens his mouth. “I’m not in the mood for this tonight, Archie. I don’t want to fight.”

 

“Me neither,” he breathes. He looks exhausted.

 

Damn him. Damn Reggie for getting the idea into her head. Damn the tequila.

 

“Are you hungry?” She asks, shoves her hands into her coat pockets.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Yeah. Okay,” Veronica nods, “There’s this great bistro around the corner if you-“

 

“Yes,” Archie cuts her off before she can finish her sentence, “yeah I’d love to.”

 

“Okay.” Veronica smiles, bites her bottom lip subconsciously as Archie follows her down the empty street.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * im really sorry if there were any spelling or grammar errors my laptop isn’t working so I had to edit on my phone :( (I’ll try and fix any mistakes I find in the morning!)
> 
> * if you’d like to chat with me about this fic or varchie or just.. anything in general, you can find me on tumblr @veronicasloddge !!
> 
> As always, I'd love to hear what you guys think of this chapter!


	11. part 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Veronica might be right; everything is fucked up. And he doesn’t know what that means for them. What it means that things are only a mess because they’re together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok first off let me just start by saying i am so so sorry that it took me so long to update. i was done with the chapter nearly three weeks ago tbh but i just wasn’t satisfied with the way i wrote it and i didn’t want to publish a chapter that i wasn’t happy with. so for the past few weeks i’ve just been constantly changing aspects of it to try and produce something that i’m satisfied with and that’s why it took me so long to finally upload it. again i’m really sorry it’s taken this long and i hope this chapter was worth the wait! 
> 
> i also wanted to thank you all so much for the constant love and support this fic receives it means the entire world to me <3

_**i. a month ago** _

  
“Hey this is Veronica, leave a message if you want but it’s not 1994 so I’ll never listen to it.” her voice rings through the air. Archie’s holding his phone in a shaking hand, runs the other through his hair distractedly. The picnic is over and the area is already cleared. There’s no one in sight, just the water moving quickly along the stream.

 

She disappeared just a few minutes after they got there. Josie said she was quickly grabbing something from the car but she never came back.

 

He’s sitting on the hood of his car, watching the sky turn a deep shade of orange, almost amber, wracking his brain trying to understand what had happened. He’s tried her phone almost ten times by now, keeps tapping 'call back' as if something will change. As if this time she’ll answer.

 

She doesn’t.

 

He shows up outside her apartment again, ready to get to the bottom of why she’s been acting differently all day and Reggie’s car is parked outside; the faded sticker of a bulldog stuck on his passenger window glaring at Archie.

 

He asks her about it the next day, in his car of all places because the universe appreciates irony apparently.

 

“I wish I never asked you to come with me to Memphis,” she responds. Archie feels like the winds been knocked out of him.

 

“Why?”

 

She drops her shoulders, can’t seem to meet his eyes. ”It fucked everything up.”

 

He wonders if she really means it, if some part of her truly believes that. It might kill him if she does. ”What is fucked up?” He says, swallows the lump in the back of his throat.

 

“Everything. You and me. Me and Betty. Even me and Kevin.” Veronica is staring out of her window, fingers folded over the hem of her coat, her heels tapping away impatiently. The sky is grey again, dull and dark and miserable.

 

“I’m sorry, Ronnie.” He reaches for her hand, presses a lingering kiss to the back of her palm. “I wish I could help.”

 

“I know you do.” She tries to get out of the car but he stops her. Latches onto her wrist and pleads:

 

“Veronica, you saved me.” He says softly. “I was falling apart and you made me happier than I’ve ever been. Doesn’t that make it worthwhile?”

 

She smiles weakly.

 

“I’m happy for you,” she tells him, “really.”

 

Then she leaves and the rain starts pouring.  
…

 

He’s grounded. Unsurprising, considering he left on a two-month road trip in the middle of the school year but still, he never really considered that life went on while they weren’t here.

 

Jughead stops by out of the blue, a bag of popcorn in one hand and his favorite video game in the other. “What‘s wrong?” Archie asks before the door’s even shut behind them.

 

Jughead looks at him incredulously, “what? Can’t a guy drop by for a battle Royale with his best friend?”

 

“Maybe,” Archie scoffs, grabs the popcorn from him and tosses a piece into his mouth. “Not you. You only show up when things are bad.”

 

Veronica might be right; everything is fucked up. And he doesn’t know what that means for them. What it means that things are only a mess because they’re together.

 

“It’s Veronica,” Jughead sighs, dropping his shoulders. Archie narrows his eyes. “And it’s bad.”

 

“What?” Archie asks, watches Jughead drop onto the couch nonchalantly. Unfazed.

 

“She thinks you’re in love with Betty.”

 

That he wasn’t expecting. Or maybe he was. Not from Veronica. She’s never been an insecure person, not once in the four years he’s known her.

 

It’s absurd. Because yes, he and Betty have history, but that isn’t going to change the way he feels about Veronica.

 

It can’t.

 

The things he felt for Betty don’t hold a candle to what he feels for Veronica.   
…

 

He calls Reggie, to his absolute surprise, because that’s what this has come to. Honestly, in these last few weeks alone, Archie’s spoken to Reggie more than he has in his entire life.

 

“Hey,” Reggie’s voice comes through, sounding exhausted. Archie glances over at the watch. It’s almost midnight.

 

Archie’s going off the gut feeling he has that tells him Veronica told Reggie that they’re together. He’s the only person she can tell, the only friend that’s only hers. Not Betty’s.

 

“Sorry,” Archie mumbles, rubs his temples. He feels like he hasn’t slept in months. “I didn’t realize how late it was. I-“

 

“What is it?” Reggie sighs. Archie can hear him shuffling around.

 

“Nothing, I.. Just forget about it,” he says, shaking his head, gives a mirthless laugh.

 

“Spit it out, Andrews,” Reggie says exasperatedly. Archie can’t find the words, isn’t sure how to say it to make him seem like less of an idiot. “It’s about Veronica, right?” Reggie asks, voice clearer.

 

“Yeah.” Archie breathes. He nods even though Reggie won’t see it. He sighs, raking his fingers through his hair. “How bad is it?”

 

“How bad is it?” Reggie echoes, scoffs. “It’s pretty fucking bad.”

 

Archie’s taken aback by his bluntness, realizes that Reggie does actually care about Veronica and this is him being protective of her, this is him caring about her; all he wants is what’s best for her.

 

He just never imagined he’d be the one Veronica would need to be protected from.

 

“You messed up, man,” Reggie tells him, breathing heavy.

 

“I know,” Archie assures him, kicking himself for ever coming back here in the first place. They should have just stayed on the road. Should’ve kept driving further and further. “I know,” he repeats, more to himself than anyone else.

 

Reggie inhales sharply, presses the phone closer to his ear. “Why are you calling, Archie?”

 

“I want to fix this,” he says. A picture of him, Betty, and Veronica at the Bijou stares at him from on his wall. They all look so happy. “I /need/ to fix this.”

 

“Why are you telling it to me and not Veronica?”

 

“Because,” Archie says, straightens out the sheet covering his bed, anything to distract his mind, “I need your help.”

 

Reggie laughs, "with what?"

 

"Planning a date."  
…

 

He meets her outside the school again, this time with a fresh cup of coffee and a delectable pastry. She arrives just before his first class, climbs out of her car in her signature pair of four-inch heels. Her eyes don’t catch his until the car’s driven off but once they do she offers him a small smile.

 

“Hey stranger,” she says cautiously. Archie smiles, walking up to her. He offers her the coffee and baked goods, taking her purse out of her hands.

 

“Hey yourself,” He says softly, interrupted by her muttered “thanks.” Archie smiles down at her and she smiles back easily, like it’s her second nature, like they’re back at that lake in the middle of nowhere delighting in shimmering moonlit water.

 

“What’s this for?” Veronica asks, taking a sip of her coffee.

 

“It’s a peace offering,” he smiles, starts walking toward the main entrance to the school with Veronica at his side. She looks up at him questioningly, “I‘m sorry... about the way things have been since we got back, Ronnie.”

 

“Archie-“

 

“But I can fix it. I’m going to fix it. Tonight.” He grins sheepishly as Veronica looks at him pointedly. “I want to take you out on a real date.”

 

“A date?” She replies pointedly, squints her eyes just a little. She comes to a screeching halt just outside the door. “Archie-“

 

“You can’t say no,” he tells her quickly, pressing a finger to her lips. “Because I already have the perfect night planned and saying no would put all my hard work to waste.”

 

Veronica presses her lips into a thin line, giving him a half smile. “Archie,” she says, looking up at him again. “That’s really sweet. And I appreciate the sentiment but I just don’t think... I don’t know.”

 

“It’s karaoke,” he says hopefully. “You can’t deny your fans the privilege of hearing you sing.”

 

She rolls her eyes at him playfully, scoffs, “you just don’t quit, do you?”

 

“Not when it matters,” he says, finally, holding the door open for her.

 

“Okay,” Veronica sighs in defeat, would have him convinced she didn’t really want this if not for the smile playing at her lips. “Okay,” she repeats.

 

“I’ll pick you up at eight.”  
…

  
Except it's not nearly that easy.

 

He shows up at her apartment building at exactly eight, curfew be damned. He knocks on her door for a good twenty minutes before Cheryl passes him in the hallway, a frown on her face. “She’s not there.” She groans, opening the door to her apartment. “Now go away, you’re disturbing the peace!”

 

He ends up at Pop’s somehow; maybe because it’s where their dinner and a karaoke machine is waiting for them, maybe because it’s the only place in town he can think to look, maybe because almost every memory he has with Veronica is in this booth or hundreds of miles away.

 

He feels restless and tired at the same time. Jughead is sat at the bar, drinking a milkshake.

 

Reggie is here too, in his bulldog jacket, ordering something and smiling. Archie wants to yell at him for some reason- even though he's one of the only reasons this night is possible- feels sick thinking about him being there for Veronica, comforting her.

 

Feels even worse that he wasn’t the one to do it.

 

"Hey.” Archie turns at the familiar voice, Betty standing in front of him, smile as bright as ever. Her hair is up and he can already smell her perfume; rose and jasmine— she would always tell him about it and he’d bought her a new bottle a week before they broke up.

 

He sees Jughead out of the corner of his eye, his head jerking sharply at the sound of her voice.

 

For one moment, for right now, Archie hates her. Not the Betty that he grew up with or the one he’d been best friends with his entire life, but the Betty that ruined his already rocky relationship with Jughead.

 

"Hey," he replies.

 

"You okay?" she asks, concerned.

 

Archie nods, "yeah, sure." She doesn’t believe him, he can tell. He can also tell that she cares enough to want to know, leans her head forward and waits for a better answer.

 

She doesn’t get one, so instead, she asks, “Is it weird to be back?"

 

"Very," Archie nods again. Betty bites her lip distractedly and Archie sighs. "You haven't seen Veronica, have you?" He asks.

 

He catches her face change just a fraction, only for a second, but he sees it. Disappointment. What had she expected? That he would come home and confess his love for her the first chance he got?

 

"No," she says, shakes her head and stares at the ground.

 

"Okay. Okay.” Archie repeats, more to himself than her. He pulls his keys out of his pocket. “I'm going to look for her."

 

"I'll come with you."

 

Archie shrugs. “Yeah... Okay.”   
…

  
“Remind me why you’re looking for her again.”

 

_Because of you, because she thinks I’m in love with you._

 

“I think she’s mad at me,” Archie breathes, deciding against telling Betty about their relationship; going directly against the _one_ thing she’d asked him to probably wasn’t the best way to get back into Veronica’s good graces.

 

"Are you mad at me?" Betty whispers.

 

Archie feels like laughing out loud. This has got to be some kind of joke, he must be the punchline. His car is parked outside of Pop’s, waiting for her to get out, waiting for something.

 

They drove around practically the entire town and didn’t find Veronica. So they ended up back here.

 

It feels so peculiar; he had sat in this car, hundreds of times before, with Veronica. It feels strange being in it without her.

 

“No,” Archie says, composing himself. “Not really.”

 

A few weeks ago he would’ve said yes without a second of hesitation, a few weeks ago he would’ve yelled and screamed and fought.

 

“I made a mistake.”

 

He doesn’t answer; doesn’t have one.

 

“Is it really this bad?” she whispers. Archie can feel her watching him but he keeps his eyes focused on the radio with all its little buttons and dials. “…that you can’t even talk to me?”

 

“What do you want me to say, Betty?”

 

“I don’t know,” she breathes, wrings her hands together.

 

“I’m just worried about Veronica,” he says defeatedly, drops his head. She nods silently and looks away, looks hurt. It feels strange not comforting her. He had always done that, always took care of her. Now, he just watches her come apart.

 

Betty stares at him. Her eyes are hard and she clears her throat. “I love you,” she whispers.

 

Archie doesn’t move, doesn’t say anything. He can’t. He watches her face, the same one he’d missed every night for two months.

 

He feels numb.

 

“Say something,” she pleads.

 

Archie doesn’t look at her, looks out of the window at the empty street, his hometown looks almost unrecognizable. “You can’t do that.” He says, shakes his head. “ _You_ broke up with _me_.”

 

“I’m sorry,” she whispers, tears rolling down her cheek. He feels worse when he looks at her, feels like somehow he’s the bad guy. “I made a mistake. I’m sorry.”

 

A tear falls rolls onto her lip, reminds him of the last time he kissed when she tasted like strawberries and salt water. Her voice is soft now, lower, when she says, “I’ll see you,” and climbs out of the car.

 

Archie watches her leave from behind closed doors.   
…

  
He opens the front door, slowly walks in. Tired. Exhausted.

 

His dad isn’t home, shouldn’t be for at least another hour; how he knew he’d be able to leave the house without getting grounded for not staying grounded. He makes his way up the staircase, dragging his feet and dropping his shoulders until he gets to his bedroom.

 

She’s here— of course, she’s here, it’s the only place he didn’t think to check, never even crossed his mind. She’s standing by his mirror, playing with the corner of an old picture. “Ronnie,” he breathes, feels himself actually sigh in relief at the fact that she’s standing right in front of him. “You’re here.” Her eyes meet his through the mirror, her back still turned to him.

 

“Yeah,” Veronica nods, drops the picture onto his dresser and turns to face him. “The key was under the mat. As usual.”

 

“How long have you been waiting?” He asks her, approaches her breathlessly, dropping his blue and gold jacket onto the heap of discarded clothing in the corner of the room. “I’ve been looking for you all over.”

 

“Since last period,” she admits, brushes past him and sits on his bed, playing with the fabric of his blanket. Archie follows her, dropping onto the bed beside her. “I left early, and I wanted to see you.”

 

Archie doesn’t even bother holding back the wide grin that takes over his features, leans in to kiss her, to enjoy this moment to the very fullest. Veronica moves her head away at the last second, shaking it. “What is it?” Archie whispers, settling his hand on top of hers.

 

He can see her mind running; processing, deciding what to say. “Archie,” Veronica says softly, looks up at him with glistening eyes. Her hand slips out of his and she intertwines it with her other one. “I think we should break up,” she eventually croaks.

 

“What?” he asks, confused. It feels like the room is spinning and he’s slipping away.

 

“Betty was here,” she starts, gets up off the bed. Archie would follow her if he didn’t feel like the ground was about to swallow him whole. “She was looking for you. She said you guys might be getting back together… that she told you she loved you.” It doesn't like a question, not accusatory, either. Just a statement. A fact.

 

“Veronica, we’re not getting back together,” he says, wonders how many times he’ll have to say it before she believes it.

 

“Maybe you should.” Her voice barely carries. She looks tired, nonplussed almost, as if she’d known this would happen. As if she’d been waiting for it. Maybe she had been; waiting for the other shoe to fall.

 

“What?” Archie shakes his head. “Ronnie, I’m not getting back together with Betty.”

 

“We’re home,” she tells him simply, scoffs, “the pretending and escaping reality is over.”

 

“Ronnie…” he trails off.

 

“It’s not your fault,” she says softly, offers him a smile through her tears. “or mine... or even hers. It’s just life, you know.”

 

Archie stands up slowly, latches onto her arm and meets her eyes. “Veronica, you’re not making any sense.”

 

Veronica smiles- a feeble attempt at it- dropping her shoulders when she looks up at him again. ”We're back, Archie,” she whispers, “this is the part where we say that this summer was fun. And we hug. And then you go back to her.”

 

Her arm slips out of his hand as Veronica walks swiftly towards, leaving his room exactly as it’d been before she showed up, as if she was never there at all.

 

It feels like she wasn’t

 

 

_**ii. today** _ ****

 

She takes him to a French bistro. One Toni took her to her first week here, one she’d frequented over the last few weeks— she could use as much familiarity as she can get right now.

 

Because for all the time they spent they together, all the late night conversations and early mornings watching the sunrise, for all the years they’d been best friends, Archie feels like a complete stranger right now.

 

“How have you been?” He asks nervously, interrupted by her mumbled: “how are you?”

 

“You first,” Archie nods, and Veronica smiles weakly. They’re seated at her favorite table, by the window with a view of the street and people moving in every direction all at once.

 

“Good,” Veronica whispers, clears her throat. A waiter comes by to give them their menus and it’s a helpful distraction to get her heart to stop racing. She feels like she’s at a rave, a crowded party and her heart is the bass. Except the room is almost empty and completely still, silent. Except the only person here is Archie. She can’t tell if it’s a good thing. She doesn’t know if she wants it to be. “Really good, actually.”

 

Call it insensitive or ruthless but she‘s happy about it, if only for a minute. She‘s glad that she has this. She has this city and these new friends and an entire life that Archie’s not a part of. “What about you?” She asks, tries to sound as nonchalant about it as she can.

 

“Good,” he tells her. It sounds more like a question. he plays with the fork in front of him, moves it around and out of place and refuses to meet her eyes. “Yeah... good, I guess.”

 

Veronica picks up a menu, anything to keep her mind distracted, anything to make this feel less abnormal. “Nice ring,” Archie says.

 

“What?” She almost doesn’t hear him, doesn’t understand what he’s saying until his eyes glance over at her left hand. “Oh,” she breathes, brushes a finger over the plastic gem and adjusts it on her finger. “It’s for work. These losers at the bar keep hitting on me. It’s not real, just keeps them quiet most of the time.”

 

Archie nods slowly, seems to soak in every word Veronica says, hangs on to it. It feels different; being this close to him and feeling so far away. “It looks nice,” Archie tells her, finally looks up at her and she has to look away.

 

“We should order,” she says and he nods half-heartedly.

 

Veronica waves over the waiter, pulling the ring off of her finger while she waits for him. “I’ll have the linguini special and a glass of water,” She says softly, drums her fingers against her thigh while he writes it down. She can feel Archie watching her intently.

 

The waiter turns to him and he stutters a rushed, “I’ll have the same.”

 

Before everything went straight to Hell— before they got home, back when they were still on their trip— he took her to dinner at this cute little Italian restaurant in Greendale; one last moment of complete happiness.

 

She wonders if those versions of themselves, the ones who were so in love and ready to face the world together, would’ve thought this is how they’d end up; strangers.

 

Archie is distracted, so lost in thought she has to wave a hand in front of his face to get his attention.

 

“Sorry,” He mumbles. Veronica laughs, all she can think to do. He joins her, laughs along whole-heartedly for no particular reason until she has to clutch her sides. Until it hurts.

 

It’s the first time all night he’s been someone she recognizes.

 

“I wanted to say...” she starts, clears her throat. It feels so dry all of a sudden. “I’m sorry.”

 

“Huh?” He looks surprised.

 

So is she.

 

She doesn’t realize what she’s saying until the words are spilling out. Until it’s too late to stop them. “I’m sorry for running away,” she clarifies. “It was stupid. And childish.”

 

For the record, she doesn’t regret it. She needed some time, needed the distance. She’s only sorry that running away was her first choice.

 

“Why did you it?” He asks. His question catches her off-guard. She hadn’t expected him to ask her to talk at all, let alone about the one thing she was hoping he didn’t.

 

“I thought it was the only option.” She breathes; the ugly truth. This is what he’d summed her up to.

 

“I’m sorry that I made you feel like that.” Veronica nods, can’t meet his eyes. She shouldn’t be expected to. Not when he’s looking at her like that.

 

She smiles at him half-heartedly, clears her throat. “Anyway,” she starts, tucks her hair behind her ear and traces her fingers along the rim of her plate. “It worked out for the best.” She says with a smile. “You were right, Archie. We worked best as friends. We never should’ve tried to ruin that. All we did was hurt each other.” She sighs, drops her shoulders and meets his eyes again. “I don’t want that.”

 

“Me neither.” He whispers. That much she knows to be true.

 

“I hope we can be friends again someday.” She says sincerely. She’s nowhere ready yet, not even in the ballpark but she will be. Someday.

 

“Ronnie,” he breathes. It has the same effect it’s always had on her. “I don’t know if I can be just your friend anymore.”

 

“Archie,” Veronica scoffs, laughing apathetically, waits for him to join in.

 

He doesn’t.

 

Veronica can feel the anger building up inside of her before he even says it. “I’m being serious.”

 

Of course, he would do this. Of course, his timing would be so monumentally horrible. Of course, he’d wait until she was finally, finally, over him.

 

“Screw you.” She says bitterly, surprising herself with how harsh it is. She slides her plate forward, gets up off the table, “I can’t believe I thought this would work.” She tells him, shaking her head.

 

She can’t believe she ever wanted it to.   
…

 

The night air feels cool against her lips, makes her shiver and clutch her coat closer to her form. She can hear his footsteps, the heavy thud of rubber on concrete. He follows her out of the restaurant and onto the street.

 

She doesn’t slow down.

 

“Wait!” He calls out into the darkness, sounding like he’s lost his voice in the last two minutes. “Ronnie!”

 

She finally slows down, her heels wobbling on the pavement as she stops. Freezes in place, waiting for him to catch up to her before she turns around. “What, Archie?” She bites, loud and bitter. Her throat feels dry and her lips are quivering.

 

She looks up at him incredulously, eyes starting to sting. “What do you want me to say?” She yells. The street looks empty and if it isn’t she doesn’t care. “I was trying in there. Really trying. I don’t know what you want from me or what you need me to be but I can’t do it, okay?” She’s out of breath now, her voice just above a whisper. “Not with you.”

 

“You broke my heart!” He yells, stares at her disbelievingly. Veronica can’t meet his eyes, scoffs instead. “You left, and it broke me!”

 

Veronica rolls her eyes, glares at him because he has no right. No right to show up here. No right to pin all of this on her. “That is so unfair!” She wants to yell in his face, wants to slap him because honestly? He deserves it. But he’s looking at her like she’s the only person on earth, the only thing that matters, and she can’t bring herself to meet his eyes. “I left _because_ you broke _me_.”

 

Archie pauses. Veronica waits; waits for him to say something or to disappoint her again because she feels like she doesn’t know him anymore. This new Archie, the one that broke her heart without really meaning to, is full of surprises. “I’m sorry.” He whispers, swallows a lump in his throat.

 

Veronica shakes her head, inhaling deeply and standing straight again, stares at him. “Yeah,” she breathes, “me too.”

 

She needs to leave, she realizes. Right now. She can’t be here anymore it hurts too much. She turns on her heels, starts to walk away but Archie catches up faster this time, comes to a screeching halt in front of her. “I need you,” he breathes.

 

Veronica laughs, it sounds bitter and cold and she wishes she were somewhere else instead. “You need me?” She echoes sarcastically.

 

Archie nods. Takes a step closer. She can see the freckles on his nose and the way the moonlight catches his eyes. “I need you,” he repeats.

 

Veronica sighs, feels her eyes stinging again. “No, you don’t, Archie. The only reason you’re here is because you aren’t with Betty and you can’t stand being alone.”

 

He looks caught off guard. When the anger wears off she’ll probably realize she didn’t mean it but right now it’s an all-consuming rage burning inside of her and she needs to leave. “Goodnight, Archie.” She says, turning her back to him and walking back around the block to her apartment.   
…

 

The phone rings twice before Veronica can answer it. Once she does, she presses it to her ear and closes the door to the bar behind her. The cold air makes her shiver, curse herself under her breath for not grabbing a jacket on her way out. “Hey," She breathes, a puff of air leaving her mouth as she does.

 

“Hey,” Betty answers, sounds more cheerful than the last time Veronica spoke to her.

 

“What’s up?” Veronica asks, leans against the wall as she does so. The concrete feels warmer than she thought it would.

 

“Nothing,” Betty sighs, “I was just checking in.”

 

“Checking to see if I took your advice, you mean?” Veronica scoffs, and betty mumbles a soft ‘yes’. Veronica sighs, taking in a deep breath. “I did,” she assures her, “I spoke to Archie.”

 

“You spoke to Archie,” Betty echoes, like it’s so unbelievable, so far-fetched. Veronica nods. “And?” Betty asks hopefully. Veronica can picture her face; the glimmer in her eyes as she speaks, hands folded in front of her to stop from getting too excited- not that it works.

 

“And… nothing,” Veronica sighs, kicks a rock from the pavement onto the street.

 

Betty clears her throat. “At the risk of sounding inconsiderate, can I say something?” She says. Veronica nods, thinks Betty isn’t going to wait for her approval to continue. She doesn’t. “Not to pour salt in the wound but just because I care about you.” she starts shakily and Veronica hugs her coat even closer to her.

 

“What is it, Betty?”

 

“I just want you to be sure you’re making the right decision,” she tells Veronica.

 

Veronica laughs mirthlessly, sighs, “Why does it sound like you’re about to tell me you think I’m making the wrong one?” She asks, finds her answer in Betty’s silence. “Betty, I-“

 

“No, Veronica, listen,” she cuts her off before she can even make a point. Betty takes a deep breath and Veronica follows her lead. “Do you know why Archie and I broke up? The first time.” She asks.

 

“No,” Veronica swallows thickly, “why?”

 

“You, Veronica.”

 

“What?” A group of people walk past, bustling and laughing and enjoying each others company while Veronica does a double-take. She can’t have heard that correctly.

 

“I didn’t know it at the time, neither of us did but…” Betty pauses to catch her breath and it reminds Veronica that she needs to breathe. She starts pacing, back and forth, to calm her nerves or warm her up or keep her mind distracted. She’s not sure which one it is. “When Archie told me the reason you left, when he told me about your relationship... I didn’t feel surprised, not nearly as much as I should I have.”

 

Veronica clears her throat, stops in the middle of the sidewalk, “What does this have to do with you guys breaking up?”

 

Betty laughs warmly, “Veronica I wasn’t surprised because it's always been there.” It doesn’t help. She still has no idea where she’s going with this story, how it’s supposed to get her out of this mess with Archie. “You and Archie have always had this understanding, this way of interacting with each other where it feels like there’s no one in the world but the two of you. We broke up because I thought what we had wasn’t enough, because a small part of me was envious of you... of the way Archie was around you. I knew he couldn’t ever be that away around me, that easy. Not with all the history we had.” Betty stops, her voice cracking. She sighs heavily, “the truth is the idea of Archie and I is always going to be better than the reality.”

 

Veronica sighs, kicks a rock onto the street and watches it come to a stop on the edge of the road. “I’m sorry, B,” she says softly. She wishes there hearts didn’t have to be the casualties of the last few months and all the pain they comprised.

 

“Why?” Betty says, Veronica can practically see the smile on her face. “I’m not,” she hesitates. “Veronica if us breaking up is what it took to push you guys together then I’m glad it happened.” Veronica isn’t sure if she’s being serious, it sounds absurd.

 

“Thank you... I think,” Veronica smiles to herself, “but that doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t change the fact that he chose you again."

 

“Maybe,” Betty says softly, “but we broke up again.” Veronica lets out a sharp breath. “And he drove halfway across the country for you, V. I’m not the one he wants anymore.”  
…

 

She gets up the next morning with a newfound determination. An eagerness to not let Archie and anything he said hold her back, stop her from continuing to move forward. Betty is wrong, and so is Archie. Because, as much as a small part of her would like to see if she and Archie could actually work out, there’s a bigger part of her- the part that follows logic and reason- that knows it’s a bad idea. The sooner she accepts that the better.

 

There’s one new text on her phone from Reggie, _meet me for lunch? ;)_ and a missed call from Betty. She decides to ignore the call and texts Reggie back instead, tells him she’d love to. _I’ll meet you at your hotel around noon_ she texts back, shutting off her phone and tossing it into her purse.

 

Veronica takes a hot shower. Lets the hot water burn her skin in hopes that it will rinse away any lingering feelings for Archie. When she gets out she throws on a red sundress, decides to make the most of the last few weeks of summer.

 

The walk to his hotel is slow and treacherous. It makes her regret choosing a pair of heels over strappy sandals. The weather is beautiful; golden beams of light falling from the sky, a light breeze in the air.

 

Archie’s is the first face she recognizes in the lobby, naturally. She’s drawn to him like he’s a magnet and she’s metallic. She can’t look away and he must feel her watching because his head turns to face her slowly, feet stumble toward her until he’s just inches apart and her breath is caught in her throat. “Ronnie,” he breathes.

 

“Hey,” she says, gives him a feeble attempt at a smile.

 

“Hey,” he’s still whispering, sounds like this is all a dream or she’s a figment of his imagination ready to disappear at the slightest disturbance. “What are you doing here?”

 

“I could ask you the same thing,” she laughs lightly, runs a hand through her hair and checks the time.

 

“Reggie and I are sharing a suite.” Veronica laughs again, genuinely this time. She remembers when he and Archie couldn’t stand each other, always arguing about plays and battling over the Bulldogs and other meaningless things. “Your turn.”

 

“I’m meeting Reggie for lunch,” she explains. Archie looks disappointed, hurt even. She’s about to comment on it when she hears a voice coming from behind them, as if on cue. “Speak of the devil,” she laughs, turns to face him with a smile on her face.

 

“Ronnie, hey,” he smiles, pulling her in for a quick hug. Veronica can feel Archie watching the exchange, his gaze piercing. Reggie must notice it too because he pulls away quickly, eyes drifting over to Archie. “Andrews, hey,” he says, shoving a hand into his pocket.

 

“Hey,” Archie nods.

 

His eyes glance from Archie to Veronica and back again. “Well this isn’t awkward at all,” he drawls, presses his lips together. Archie scoffs half-heartedly as Veronica watches him silently “We should leave,” Reggie suggests, “before you two go even more silent.”

 

Veronica nods, smiles up at him dryly. Reggie looks over at Archie once more, “Don’t wait up,” he tells him.  
…

 

The pier is variegated and lively, bursting with joy and laughter and a thousand different colors. Streaks of magenta and a warm red reflect off the water, illuminate Reggie’s face as he talks to her. “You know you’re torturing him, right?” He says. The sun is just setting, melting into the ocean and leaving only darkness in its wake.

 

“What?” Veronica stares up at him incredulously. The ice cream cone in her hand is starting to drip onto the pavement.

 

“Come on, V,” Reggie laughs. Veronica stares at him pointedly. “Showing up at the hotel,” he says. “Wearing that.” He scoffs. She rolls her eyes at him, feels her cheek warming up nonetheless. “You’re punishing him.”

 

Veronica stays silent for a minute, watches him toss his empty cone into a trash can while she comes to a halt in the middle of the path. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she assures him.

 

Reggie scoffs, “Yeah, right.” He nods.

 

Veronica smiles at him, making a big deal of rolling her eyes again. “Can we talk about something besides Archie?” She asks.

 

“You don’t have to ask me twice,” Reggie says and it makes her laugh. Genuinely. His smile is bright and infectious and despite everything, she thinks she’s going to be okay. He waits until her laughter’s died down before he says, “I have news.”

 

“Me too,” she smiles.

 

“You first.” He gives her an encouraging nod, leads her to an empty bench that overlooks the water.

 

“I applied to law school.”

 

His eyes are wide, lips grinning as he says, “Law school?/That’s amazing, V.” Reggie was the only person she ever told about the idea; that she’d maybe want to become a lawyer one day, that she wanted to do the right thing for once. It was the summer of their respective internships in New York and he’d stared at her for a full minute silently, enough time for her to want to wish she never said anything, before he said, ‘I think you’d be incredible.’ And he might’ve been joking but the way he said it; so honest and sincere made her believe that he wasn’t. “I can’t wait to see you kick ass,” he laughs.

 

It isn’t the first time in the last two months she wonders how much easier things would’ve been if she and Reggie had ended up together instead, if she wasn’t in love with Archie. Her heart would burn so much less. Everything would be so much easier. Not that it matters because she isn’t over Archie, not even close to it and him being here is just opening up old wounds.

 

“Your turn,” Veronica says, taking a lick of her ice cream. She raises her eyebrows at him, suggestively and Reggie scoffs. “What’s your news?”

 

“I think…” he stops himself uncertainly. Veronica looks at him questioningly. “I think I’m going to propose to Josie.”

 

“What?!“ She practically shouts. A few strangers turn to face them, trace down the change in monotony. “Are you serious?”

 

“Yeah,” he laughs nervously, pulls a black velvet box out of his pocket and pops it open in front of her. The ring is beautiful, simple and elegant. Josie will love it.

 

“It’s gorgeous!” Veronica exclaims, grabbing the box from his hand. “God, I can’t believe you let me go on about something as mediocre as college when you were sitting on this.”

 

She doesn’t say anything else, bites her tongue when he can tell she’s holding something back, she knows he can. “What?” he asks nervously.

 

“Nothing.”

 

“Veronica.” He looks at her expectantly, impatiently. Like ‘spit it out’.

 

“Fine,” she sighs, dropping her shoulders. “But remember that you asked.” Reggie nods as she takes a deep breath, shuts the box in front of her. “Are you sure you’re not rushing in? You guys have been dating for less than a year…”

 

“I know,” he nods, as if he’d expected it.

 

“And we _just_ graduated”

 

“I know.”

 

“And you’re still going through with it?” She asks with a smile.

 

Reggie shrugs, “when you know you know.”

 

“I can’t believe you just said,” she says, rolls her eyes but the smile on her face gives her away. Reggie watches her exactly before she raises her hands in surrender. “In that case, I’m happy for you, Reggie.”  
…

 

“Hey.”

 

“Hey, your uh… Your roommate let me in,” He’s sitting on the couch, hands folded in his lap as his foot taps on the rug nervously over and over again. It’s the last thing she needs right now; him being here.

 

“I’ll have to talk to her about that,” she sighs, dropping her keys onto the counter before pulling off her coat.

 

“The place looks nice,” Archie says. Veronica stares at him and his eyes drift over her. “What?” he asks anxiously.

 

“What are you doing here, Archie?” She asks. She sounds small and delicate. She can’t believe he’s doing this, that he’s still here. She wishes he would leave so she could fall apart behind closed doors.

 

_“What do you think?”_

 

“Jesus Christ, Archie,” she scoffs, pressing the palm of her hand to her forehead before running it through her hair. “You can’t keep doing this to me!”  


He stands up, moves closer to her as he says, “What? What am I doing wrong, Veronica? I’m here.” She hates seeing him like this, even now, after everything. He’s still Archie. Still, the same person she’s loved and cared about for years and every single fiber of her being is screaming at her to comfort him, hold him. He looks broken. But so is she.

 

“Yes,” Veronica scoffs, looking away from him. “You’re here. That doesn’t fix anything, Archie. It doesn’t change anything.”

 

“Why?” He says, throws his hands up into the air. Veronica can’t bring herself to look at him. He stops moving to catch his breath as Veronica stares at him again, wills herself to not come apart right in front of him. “I’m sorry, Ronnie,” he breathes, eyes meeting hers. It hurts to look at him, to see him like this and see how far they’ve both fallen.

 

She misses the Archie that was only her best friend.

 

“I’m sorry about everything,” he breathes. “I’m sorry that I let you leave and that I hurt you in the first place-“

 

“Archie…” she trails off, tries to stop him but the words get caught in her throat.

 

“I messed up, Veronica. I know,” he’s standing so close now she can feel his breath on her face, hot and jagged. She scoffs, ready to bite back but Archie continues. “Tell me what to do. Tell me how to fix this.”

 

“You can’t.”

 

“No,” he shakes his head, presses his lips into a thin line. He looks so different, not the same person she left behind so many weeks ago.

 

“No?” Veronica stares at him incredulously.

 

“No,” Archie repeats. “I miss you, Ronnie,” he whispers and she feels her heart speed up, a lump build in the back of her throat. She swallows thickly. “I need you.”

 

“You really need to stop saying that,” she says, tries to brush it off as a joke but Archie's eyes are focused on her and she feels like giving in.

 

“No,” he says again. “Not until you believe it. Ronnie, I…“ He inches closer, takes a deep breath and brushes his lips against hers. She's surprised at first, freezes for all of two seconds before she's kissing him back just as fiercely, the supply of adrenaline from the anger and the loneliness of the last few days that's made turned her into a jittery mess transforming into something else altogether.

 

Kissing Archie feels so familiar and exciting at the same time. His tongue dances with hers and makes her heart skip a beat.

 

She pulls away from him sharply as the realization dawns on her, can’t tell how long it’s been since she’s taken a breath. It feels like an eternity. Her eyes drift from his eyes to his lips and back again. Her chest is heaving as she licks her lips, taking a small step back. She can’t look away from him, locked in a trance and he’s the only thing she can see. “Veronica-“ Archie starts but she silences him with another kiss, capturing his lips. He tastes like cheap alcohol and home. Veronica’s hands drift to the collar of his shirt as she pulls him closer.

 

Archie’s lip leave hers, coming into contact with her jaw, making a trail of kisses along it, and down her neck and wherever he can reach. Veronica leans into him, gasps for air. “We shouldn’t do this,” she says with uneven breath. She’s aware of how bad an idea it is, how much it’s going to hurt the both of them. Still, even as she says it her hands are reaching for his belt, struggling to unbuckle it.

 

Archie doesn’t respond, kisses her senseless instead before slipping a hand under her dress, running it along her skin. She shivers under his touch, her lips moving to his neck, as her name leaves his lips once more. This time exactly as she remembers it, exactly as he’s said it a thousand time before but so distinctive. He pulls the dress over her head, kisses her collarbone as she starts to unclasp her bra. It falls onto the ground in front of her, her underwear following a second later.

 

Her arms unwrap themselves from around Archie’s neck so he can take his shirt off, make a show of ripping it off as fast as he can as if she might change her mind if his lips aren’t on hers, aren’t clouding her vision. She won’t. It’s too late. This feels too good. Veronica bites her lip, waits for Archie’s lips to find hers. He leans forward and kisses her again, hands cupping her ass and pulling her into him. Then his lips are on her neck again, sucking the tender skin, his teeth grazing her. “Archie,” she cries, gasping for air. Her fingers rope into his hair, lift his head so she can lose herself in his kiss again, this time walking backward to the counter, crashing into it in their haze. He corners her into the marble wall, her back pressing into the cool rock while his body radiates warmth, a contrast that makes her shiver and hold him closer. Archie smiles down at her.

 

His hands move to the back of her legs, lift her thighs up as she wraps herself around him. He props her up onto the counter hastily, her keys falling to the ground in the chaos, momentarily shaking them both awake. Archie pulls back to look at her, eyes drifting over her face. She thinks he might say something but he kisses her instead, with the same burning desire that’s consuming her and she actually whimpers when he pulls away from her again to pull off his jeans and boxers.

 

When he kisses her again his hands cup her face and he kisses her slower, steadier. It’s too tender, feels too much like something they could’ve had so Veronica pulls away, bites her lip as she moans his name again and pulls him closer to her, runs a finger over his chest and abs, all the way down to his growing erection. She runs her fingers over the length of it, massaging him slowly while Archie’s lips suck harder on her neck. “Fuck, Ronnie,” He moans, nails digging into her thighs. Archie looks up at her again, hands skimming over her bare skin, cupping her breasts. It has her feeling breathless and needy; desperate for him.

 

He taunts her with the head of his cock, circles her clit slowly, taking his sweet time. “Archie,” she begs, breathing almost emphysematous. Her fingers curl around his waist, pulling him toward her. “Stop teasing me,” she hisses. Archie obliges happily, giving her a smug grin as he does. She kisses him again, breathless and hungry, enough to wipe it off his face and leave him speechless. The adrenaline is still fading, leaving her in the form of short and staggered breaths when Archie pushes inside of her without notice. Veronica cries out, arches her back, nodding at his inquisitive peering look, and he slides into her again. He’s rocking slowly but not for long, getting more and more frantic with every rough breath, and Veronica has two fingers on her clit when he opens his mouth again. She can’t make out what he says, isn’t sure she wants to with the way he’s looking at her. “Harder,” she says softly, aggressively taking his lips in hers, getting caught up in the physicality of it. “Don’t stop, Archie,” she breathes, biting down on his lip and then her own. He doesn’t, keeps going and continues to render her nothing but a sped up heartbeat.

 

The rest she recalls in blurry snapshots.

 

Archie, in all his red-headed glory, pressed into her, whispering her name and making her feel things she’s never felt before. His eyes almost glowing as they bore into hers, pulling her over the edge and into a free fall. The way he says her name when he follows her into oblivion.

 

He kisses her through the aftershocks, sweet and slow and gentle, a thorough contrast to the rush of moments earlier and when he draws away, he rests his head against her forehead. “I’m sorry,” he whispers and the naked pain in his voice makes her heart ache. “I’m sorry.”


	12. part 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There’s a moment, the smallest fraction of second just after she opens her eyes, while sunlight is flooding the room and Archie’s hand is draped over her waist where everything feels normal. Him being here doesn’t feel out of the ordinary or like anything spectacular it just is.

**_i. roughly one month ago_ **

****

  
He doesn’t talk to her for a week after that cataclysmic evening in his bedroom. It could just be a coincidence; timing and the fact that they’re both drowning in exams, but he knows she’s avoiding him because they haven’t been to Pops in just a long and that piece of evidence is cogent in and of itself.

  
He doesn’t talk to Jughead either, figures it has something to do with the fact that the he and Veronica are having lunch by the bleachers every day. They look happy, at least. So whatever it is, whatever is going on at least there’s that. Not that it does much.

  
Not that he’s even bold enough to see it for himself. He takes Betty at her word when she tells him about it and that’s enough. As if he needs to feel even more like he’s on the outside looking in; watching his best friends move on with their lives, decidedly without him.

  
Betty, on the other hand, he does see. Betty, who a few months ago he’d been willing to drop everything for without a second thought. She’s waiting outside his door the next morning like nothing ever happened; like she hadn’t told him she loved him twelve hours ago and sent his life into the downward spiral that’s left him utterly heartbroken.

  
“Walk me to school?” She says, sounds so affable, the physical embodiment of Riverdale and everything his life stood for, the perfect girl next door. She always was. Archie agrees helplessly, walks her to school in deafening silence.

  
“I’m sorry about what I said yesterday,” she tells him. Too little too late, Archie thinks. They’re rounding the bend to the school and it’s brick walls gawk at them. Veronica’s words from the night before are still ringing in his head. “I was out of line.”

  
“Yeah,” Archie nods at her falteringly.

  
She smiles at him and he smiles back.

  
He can’t pinpoint the exact moment it happens but it doesn’t come gradually, doesn’t take its time. It happens all at once; he walks her to school the next day and the next and before he knows it, before he can pause to catch his breath, they’re back to exactly to where they were three months ago; wrapped up in each other under the neon lights that patron the Chock’Lit Shoppe.

  
Back to being together.  
….

  
He sees Veronica for the first time since that night two days after they make it official- Betty is out on the field in the middle of practice and she kisses him and he kisses her back because he’s missed her somehow.

  
His eyes catch Veronica’s from across the field; she looks extremely unfazed by the interaction, freezes for a second to really look at him and then keeps walking away with Cheryl and the rest of the vixens like she hasn't missed a beat. Archie’s eyes follow her until long after they’ve disappeared into the girls' locker room.

  
He sees her again after practice, walking out of the school on his way to the locker room. She brushes past him, not so much as a hello and he stands completely perplexed in her wake.

  
He’s standing in the same spot wordlessly a moment later when Cheryl leaves the bathroom. “God.” She lets out a mirthless snort when she sees him. “Of course, you’d be here.”

  
He looks at her questioningly for a minute waiting for an explanation. When one doesn’t come, he alternately says, “did I do something wrong?”

  
She scoffs, “you’re funny, I’ll give you that.” She spins around in her heels, almost six inches of metal, and starts to walk away.

  
“Cheryl, wait!” He yells, watches as she comes to a pause in the middle of the empty hallway. His voice echoes through the hall, reverberates around them. He moves closer toward her as she turns around. “Does this have something to do with Veronica?”

  
“Wow, congratulations, you‘ve managed to put your two brain cells to good use.”

  
“Is she okay?” He asks, brushes off her comment.

  
“No,” Cheryl bites, rolls her eyes. “She is not.”

  
“Is it because of me?” He already knows the answer.

  
“Don’t make me go back on what I said about you finally using your brain.” She says, shakes her index finger disapprovingly. “You messed up, Archie... which I’m positive you’re already aware of, but you need to know; The last thing Veronica wants right now is to have your relationship thrown in her face.”

  
“She’s the one who told me to be with Betty.”

  
“I know,” Cheryl assures him, looks sincere, almost sympathetic. “But you still hurt her.”  
....

She’s at her locker, talking to Jughead and the sight is as odd as it sounds. Her eyes shift to him as soon as he and Betty stop in the middle of the hall. His hand slips out of Betty’s automatically but not before Veronica’s eyes glance over their interlaced fingers.

  
“Hey, V,” Betty says sweetly, paired with her ever-present smile.

  
“Hey,” Veronica responds, strained. Her eyes drift over Archie, simply ignore him and he can feel the powder keg they’re in beginning to shake.

  
Shit.

  
“Are you joining us for lunch?” Betty asks her, pulling on the straps of her backpack. “At Pop’s, of course,” she laughs, “We were thinking of cramming in a study session at Archie’s afterward.”

  
Veronica sighs, disheartened, shakes her head. “Sorry, I can’t,” she tells them. “Josie agreed to help me with my speech today.”

  
Archie looks at her pointedly just as Betty says, “oh right. For the event at Pop’s.”

  
“Our coming of age celebration,” Veronica muses. “Yeah.” He’d seen the flyers around the school, her initials scrawled across the bottom; a pre-graduation, graduation party. It doesn’t feel like there’s anything to celebrate.

  
“That’s too bad. It feels like we haven’t seen you all week,” Betty sighs. “Maybe tomorrow night?”

  
“Yeah,” Veronica smiles, “maybe.” Her eyes meet Archie’s for a nanosecond, just a glance before she turns away again as the bell rings.

  
“We have calculus,” Betty tells him with a grunt, turning on her heels, her fingers finding Archie’s again.

  
His eyes are still on Veronica, silently watching as she sifts through the contents of her locker. “Give me a minute,” he says, eyes moving back to Betty, “I’ll catch up with you.”

  
He waits until she’s disappeared around the corner, until it’s just he and Veronica in this wide and empty hallway before he opens his mouth to say something. Nothing comes out. It's her voice that chimes through the hall instead. “I can feel you staring,” she mutters.

  
“You’re avoiding me,” he says. She doesn’t turn around, doesn’t stop what she’s doing. “I tried calling you all week,” he continues, “I even stopped by the apartment.”

“Sorry,” Veronica says with a bright smile, turns to face him as she shuts her locker. “I’ve been really busy. Between all these exams and helping plan the party at Pop’s I’ve barely had time to catch my breath.”

  
“Can I come by later tonight?” He mumbles, doesn't even wait for her to catch her breath before he says it. “To talk.”

  
She sighs, “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Archie.”

  
“Why not?”

  
“Because,” she sighs, looks away from him.

  
“Because you broke up with me?” He asks, letting out a dejected and apathetic laugh. “Or because you’re pretending like I don’t exist and this might disrupt your life somehow?”

  
“Lower your voice.” She says seriously.

  
Archie looks around the hallway with a scoff. “There’s no one here, Veronica.” She rolls her eyes as he drops his shoulders defeatedly. “I only want to talk.”

  
“Fine,” she mutters. “I’ll be home by six.”  
....

 

He’s there at six exactly, knocking on her front door like his life depends on it. “Hey.” She seems surprised that he’s here, surprised that he showed up at all.

  
“Hey,” he replies. Veronica lets go of the door, steps aside so he can come in. “How’s your speech coming along?” He asks anxiously. The place looks much tidier than he can ever remember Veronica being. Impeccably clean; uninhabited almost.

  
“Fine,” Veronica says, hardly audible. She drops onto the couch and Archie follows her silently.

  
“Are you almost done with it?” The words leave his lips lacking any emotion.

  
“What did you want to talk about, Archie?” Veronica asks, rubs at her temples tiredly. She was never one for small talk but then again, neither was he. The last few months have done a number on them.

  
“What do you think?” He asks, a humourless laugh escaping his lips. Veronica looks up at him and he stares at her dispirited. “Betty said she told you about us-“

  
“That you got back together, you mean?” She jeers. “Congratulations.”

  
“I should’ve told you,” he sighs. He should’ve done so many things he didn’t. Maybe then at least one if not both of them would’ve ended up less beaten. Veronica shakes her head. “ I should have.”

  
“You didn’t have to,” she tells him. She clears her throat, stands up once again. “It’s none of my business.”

  
“Maybe not,” he says, but it’s a lie; Veronica’s as tangled up in this as he is. “Still, you shouldn’t have had to hear it from her. I should’ve been the one to tell you.”

  
She presses her lips into a thin line, watches him intently and he can’t tell why. “You don’t have to worry about me, Archie,” she says dryly.

  
“Of course I worry,” he breathes, “you’re my friend.” Another lie. Because his brain has tried pushing Veronica into that category for almost a week now and it just won’t stick.

  
It doesn’t fit; doesn’t seem to encompass all the ways she’s managed to make him feel like a version of himself that he actually wants to be.

  
“You can’t do that,” she says softly.

  
“What?”

  
“Nothing,” she sighs, bites her lip anxiously. “I don’t think we can be friends, Archie.” She says softly. “At least not for right now.”

  
“Why not?” He swallows thickly, trying to cover his voice breaking.

  
“Because it hurts too much,” she sighs. “Being around you... hurts me.” She isn’t yelling but it feels like she is. Feels like a million things at once; how cool and collected her voice is and the sound of his heartbeat echoing throughout his entire body.

  
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he whispers.

  
“But you do, Archie. Seeing you guys together-“

  
“That’s unfair,” he interrupts, almost shouts. “You’re the one who told me to be with her. You broke up with me, Veronica.”

  
“You’re right,” she drops her shoulders defeatedly. “Maybe I brought this on myself.”

  
“Ronnie,”

  
“I just need some space, okay?” She says, playing with the hem of her shirt. “I need to not see you, for a while. I need some time.”

  
“How long?” He mumbles.

  
She won’t meet his eyes. “I don’t know.”

  
“And then?”

  
“I’ll be okay with it. I just... need a minute.”

  
“And in the meantime, we what? Just stop being friends?” He scoffs.

  
“It’s not forever.”  
....

 

He lets Betty convince him to go to Pop’s. Maybe because she looks so excited when she talks about it or maybe he’s going to miss everyone here a few months from now. Maybe it’s one of the only chances he’s going to have to talk to Veronica in days and he misses her.

  
She’s already started her speech by the time they arrive. He can hardly see her through the crowd but he can hear how nervous she is in her voice.

  
Betty pulls on his hand when he starts to slow down, drags him to a corner in the back, isolated from the rest of the crowd. They stand there in silence, Betty’s head resting on his shoulder watching the stage, watching Veronica.

  
“You’ve all played such an important role in my life. You mean so much to me, each and every one of you. I know I haven’t been “the easiest person or even an easy person, but none of you ever gave up on me, and for that, I am forever grateful.” She says, her voice ringing through the cool night air.

  
There’s a finality to her voice; a gut-wrenching feeling that takes over him. It sounds an awful lot like goodbye.

  
She says something else, something that makes the crowd erupt into cheers and laughter and leaves the room buzzing. He doesn’t hear it though, it all feels sort of like an out-of-body experience. Like he’s watching it happen from a distance, watching Veronica fade away.

  
She meets his gaze through the hundreds of lightly buzzed people. She looks different somehow, he can’t pinpoint the exact change but it’s there. She offers him a weak smile as she heads off the stage. Betty smiles up at him, her head coming off his shoulder as he whispers a soft, “I’ll be right back,” to her.

  
By the time he makes it to the front of the crowd, she’s disappeared, talking to Jughead behind the closed doors of the kitchen. Her face lit up by colorful fluorescent diner lights. He decides to head back outside, wait for her by her car. It’s brand new, less than a week old and it looks like it. The parking lot is completely desolate, save for rows of empty cars.

  
Archie‘s about to abandon all hope, about to make his way back inside when he hears the familiar clicking of heels on concrete. She looks surprised to see him. He doesn’t blame her. He straightens his back immediately when he sees her, eyes drifting over her features.

  
She doesn’t so much as look at him, simply brushes past him and unlocks her car door, about to open it when he places a hand on top of hers. “Ronnie,” he says softly, pleading with her to stop.

  
She does. “You need to go,” she says frantically but he’s tired of giving up.

  
“Are you okay?” He asks. There’s a flicker of something in her eyes, a moment where she genuinely considers giving in. He can tell. “Talk to me,” he urges her.

  
“Archie,” she whispers, refusing to look at him. He can tell where this is going by the way she says it. He can’t remember the last time she said it with anything other than hurt. “Go. Please.”

  
He’s not leaving. Not now. “I’m not going anywhere while you’re like this.” He tells her and she finally looks at him. Her eyes are red, puffy and tired.

  
“You don’t get to do that,” she screams almost, her fists colliding with his chest. “You don’t get to try and make me feel better.”

  
“Ronnie-“ He starts again but she’s shaking her head, clenched fists still resting on his chest.

  
“You did this!” She cries, shutting her eyes. “I’m like this.... because of you.”

  
“I didn’t mean to-“ he starts. But she’s right. He did this. To her, to himself, to them. He did it. She doesn’t say anything else, gets into her car and drives away.

  
Archie makes his way back into Pop’s and Jughead confirms what he already knew.

  
It was goodbye.

 

 

_**ii. today** _

 

 

There’s a moment, the smallest fraction of second just after she opens her eyes, while sunlight is flooding the room and Archie’s hand is draped over her waist where everything feels normal. Him being here doesn’t feel out of the ordinary or like anything spectacular it just _is_.

  
It doesn’t take long for her to come to her senses.

  
He’s still here, that much is painfully obvious. He said he would be and he is. Archie with his eyes shut. Archie dreaming of something that makes his lips curl. It’s a sight for sore eyes.

  
He’s all she thought about all night— pretty hard not to seeing as he was sleeping right beside her, breathing synced with hers and heartbeats beating uncontrollably.

  
She barely got any sleep, tossing and turning, struggling to keep her eyes closed with this new weight of everything that’s changed sitting on her chest.

  
Her hand moves slowly under the covers, lifts his arm off of her so she can turn to face him. Her phone buzzes in her purse beside her and Archie stirs, turns onto his side pulling half the blanket with him. Veronica scoffs, reaches for her phone, feeling her way through keys and loose coins until she finds it.

  
It’s a text from Toni. _You’re late_ it reads. There’s at least a dozen more of them along the same lines.

  
Veronica glances at the time and almost jumps out of the bed when she realizes that it’s past noon and she was expected at the bar nearly an hour ago.

 

  
“Shit,” she mutters, glances over at Archie worriedly but he’s still out cold. Her phone starts buzzing again, _get here, now!_

  
_'Coming..._ ' Veronica texts back as she lazily throws on a dress. She leaves a post-it note on her dresser for Archie and heads out of the apartment as quickly as she can.

  
In a way, she’s grateful. She’s nowhere near the right headspace to be in in order to deal with the consequences of last night. She needs time to process it all before she says something she’ll regret because that seems to be the trend at the moment.

  
So this is good. A distraction, like pressing pause.   
....

 

“Hey,” Veronica says. She’s standing in the corner of the bar watching it start to come alive, people walking in and out and creating a new atmosphere.

  
“Hi,” Cheryl’s voice comes through excitedly, already bringing a smile to Veronica’s face. Veronica sits down on one of the stairs leading to the stage. “I was just calling to check in,” she says. “You’ve been M.I.A. for a while now.”

  
“Sorry,” Veronica sighs. “These last few days I've been a complete mess.” She plays with the laces of her boot, watches a couple in front of her get up to dance to something on the jukebox.

  
It reminds her of a small town where they danced, that bar in the middle of nowhere when it was just she and Archie. Archie, Archie, Archie. Her mind keeps circling back to him, keeps tricking her into thinking about him even when she convinced herself it’s the last thing she wants.

  
“Does It have something to do with a certain red-headed guitar hero showing up?” Cheryl asks smugly like she already knows the answer. She does.

  
Veronica shakes her head disbelievingly. “Did you know he was coming?” She asks.

  
“Not until after he left,” she assures her.

  
“A heads up would’ve been nice,” Veronica pours. It wouldn’t change anything. He’s still here. She still let herself get carried away.

  
“Where’s the fun in that?” She laughs and Veronica rolls her eyes. “Did you sleep with him already?”

  
Veronica sighs, “how did you know?”

  
“Please,” Cheryl scoffs. “I’ve met the two of you. And I’ve seen how you were when you weren’t together.” She makes a show of letting out a dramatic sigh. “Are you... back together?”

  
“I don’t know.” Veronica sighs, “I don’t think so.”

  
“Why not?” Cheryl says exasperatedly. “You really need to cut the guy some slack. As stupid a mistake as his was, you were the one who pushed him away.”

  
“I know,” Veronica replies honestly. It’s something she’s been going back and forth on for weeks now, but it’s the truth. Archie isn’t the only one responsible for them not working out. “That doesn’t change anything.”

  
“You know,” Cheryl continues. “You keep saying that. But you’re wrong. It changes everything, Veronica. The fact that he showed up and he’s fighting. He’s in love with you. He deserves a second chance.”

  
“I don’t know,” she says, feels her eyes stinging and her lungs burning. “I’m not sure if I can go through that again.”

  
It feels like she’s been having the same conversation for weeks; her life playing on a loop over and over and over. And she keeps ending up exactly where she started.

  
“It’s Archie!” Cheryl says incredulously. “Sweet, innocent, 'wouldn't hurt a fly' Archie. You guys have been friends for years, Veronica, you've been at your happiest with him. You can’t let this one thing keep you from something amazing.”

  
“When did you get to be so wise?” Veronica laughs.

  
“It’s your fault,” she huffs. “I’ve been spending way too much time with Betty and Jughead. They’re all that’s left here. They do make some good points every once in a while, though.”

  
“Yeah,” Veronica smiles. “They do.”   
...

  
He shows up just as the sun is setting. The bar is getting darker and lights strung up across it brighter. Under a halo of light, he looks like the same Archie that took her to prom just because. Because Betty was out of town, because the backlash of her fathers business had been at its worst, because that’s just who he is.

  
She smiles when she sees him and he sits down opposite her at the bar. “You’re here,” she states.

  
“In the flesh,” Archie grins sheepishly, pulling over a take-out menu and skimming through it. “I had nowhere else to go.” This new Archie, the one that shows up in LA out of the blue and kisses her in the middle of her apartment in the heat of an argument, is always nervous. For all the speeches and sweeping declarations, for all the life-altering decisions he keeps making, he never seems certain of anything.

  
Veronica scoffs, a smile creeping onto her face but he’s being serious. She looks at him pointedly.

  
“I went home,” he starts as she hands him a root beer, spinning the cap on the table. “But Reggie and I got into a fight.”

  
“About what?” She asks, sitting down on a stool next to him.

  
“About you.” Veronica scoffs, unsure whether he’s being serious or not, smiles weakly when she realizes he is. She clears her throat and Archie lets out a deep breath. “Can I buy you a drink?”

  
Veronica presses her lips into a thin line. “I’m in the middle of a shift,” she says apologetically. Archie sighs defeatedly. “But I’ll be done in a little while,” she assures him. “You can wait... if you want to.”

  
He does.   
....

 

She’s used to the staring by now, there’s a spotlight over her head so it isn’t too remarkable. She’s gotten accustomed to it.

  
Tonight, however, she can feel Archie watching her throughout her entire set and that feels different. The crowd usually doesn’t affect her but she’s so aware of him. His presence lurking and making her nervous.

  
For the first time ever when her set ends she’s actually relieved that it has. He’s still watching her from the bar, smile beaming and eyes wide with excitement. She grabs him a drink, something new. She isn’t sure if it’s any good, but she slides it onto the bar in front of him and he smiles at her again. Damn him.

  
“So,” she starts, letting out a small laugh because his smile might be infectious. “About last night,” she bites her lip. “I think that might’ve been a mistake. I don’t think either one of us was thinking clearly and we got caught up in the moment.”

  
“Okay,” he says, smile unwavering.

  
“Okay?”

  
“Okay,” he repeats with stronger conviction. Veronica stares at him incredulously. “I already told you I’m not giving up. If you think last night was a mistake then it just means I’ll have to work harder to get you back.”

  
Veronica rolls her eyes. “Hence, the okay,” she says and Archie nods. She scoffs and he stands up off his chair.

  
“Can I buy you a drink?” He asks softly, “Or dinner? Or even just a cup of coffee? Anywhere that isn’t here.”

  
“Now that you mention it,” she smiles. “I’m kind of starving.”   
....

 

They stop by her apartment first because she smells of beer and is in desperate need of a clean set of clothes.

  
Her apartment is still a mess from the night before, her bed still unmade from this morning and she’ll definitely hear a lot about it from Toni when she gets home if she hasn’t already seen it.

  
Archie doesn’t ask to come in and she doesn’t invite him in, promises she’ll only be a few minutes and leaves him waiting on the concrete outside the building.

  
It ends up taking more than a few minutes because she can’t find the dress she’s looking for, not in her suitcase or the small disheveled closet she hijacked when she moved in. She ends up settling for a black skirt and it’s matching top, throwing it on as quickly as she can without it looking like she’d just been through the wringer.

  
He smiles when his eyes meet hers from across the pavement and she can’t help but mirror it. “You look... amazing, Ronnie,” he says softly. She can feel herself blushing, smiles up at him because maybe this feels good. Maybe, just maybe, she likes being here with him. “You ready?” He asks.

  
“Yes,” Veronica nods.   
....

  
She lets him take her out to dinner, not at the bar or the bistro or anywhere nearby. Somewhere new. A clean slate. They walk around the city for nearly an hour trying to find something. “You really know how to treat a girl,” Veronica muses when he finally stops in front of a food truck.

  
“It’s one of the things I pride myself on,” he jokes. Veronica rolls her eyes, reaches for a folded menu but Archie pulls it out of her hands. “They only serve one thing,” he laughs and Veronica stares at him. “I’ll order and you can grab a seat in the meantime.”

  
She isn’t even sure what they’re eating but it tastes divine and Archie smiles, pleased with himself, when she tells him that. He’s uncharacteristically quiet throughout their dinner and it makes her feel a little uneasy. There was a time when they could sit in silence for hours on end and it felt like the easiest thing ever; comfortable, just appreciating each other’s presence.

  
“I should probably head home,” she says once their table is cleared and the street looks emptier.

  
“Not yet,” Archie says with a grin and he stands up with extra dramatic effect. “I want to show you something.”   
....

 

She recognizes his hotel from yesterday, hesitantly follows him into it and all the way to the highest floor. It’s desolate and quiet, empty and peaceful.

  
The view is breathtaking; overlooks what feels like the entire city. It looks like a mirage; a tempest of floodlights and neon signs flashing like beacons. “It’s beautiful,” she says softly, turns to face him and he’s staring at her.

  
“Yeah,” he agrees. He sits down onto the ground facing the glass window, watching the lights dance across the horizon.

  
She sits down next to him, careful not to crease her skirt and joins him. “I heard from Betty you’re going to NYU,” she says, running her fingers over the fabric of the carpet.

  
He shrugs, then nods, “Yeah, I am.” He looks over at her and then back at the glass. “What about you?” He asks hesitantly.

  
“I don’t know,” she says honestly. He seems disappointed by her answer, like he might have been expecting something else, like he could’ve answered it better.

  
He smiles to himself, stares at nothing in particular. Veronica watches him silently. “You know,” he starts, “I always had this vision of the of the four us— you, me, Betty and Jughead.” He says it distractedly, twists his father’s ring on his finger. Veronica remembers his wearing it and calling himself her husband. Maybe things were always this frayed between them, maybe they always would be. “Me and Jug living in the village, you and Betty roommates on Park Avenue.”

  
Veronica scoffs, smiles feebily. “I don’t think you and Jughead could survive being roommates for more than a week.” She laughs, biting her lip.

Archie nods, “you’re probably right.” He sucks in a sharp breath, looking over at her again. “Can I ask you something?” Veronica nods hesitantly. “Why’d you choose LA of all places? Why’d you come here?”

  
“I don’t know,” she whispers. “ It was always my favorite place to visit as a kid. I guess. Maybe I was living in the past.” He opens his mouth to say something but eventually decides against it, waits for her to say something else or give up. “Why’d you choose New York?”

  
He shrugs, “it seemed like the only choice, you know, like something was drawing me to it. I can’t explain it.”

  
“I get it,” she tells him, and she does. She understands the alluring beauty of New York better than anyone.

  
“Are you going to stay here... for good?” He asks in a whisper, barely audible.

  
“I don’t know,” she says, stares out of the window into the city. It looks captivating, breathtaking, but it’s never felt like home. “I don’t know what comes next and I don’t know how to know.” Archie follows her eyes to the view in front of them. “Are you going back to Riverdale?” She asks.

  
He shakes his head, “not anytime soon.” Veronica looks at him questioningly and he sighs. “I think I’ve had enough of it for now. Maybe for good.” He’s right; it’s cursed. He meets her eyes cautiously. “Are you?”

  
“No,” she says almost instantly. She’s had enough of that town to last a lifetime. “Maybe one day,” she says but it’s probably a lie. She can tell he knows it is. She swallows thickly, clears her throat. “So what’s your new vision? You know, now that everything’s... different?”

  
“I don’t know,” he tells her. A globe behind them flickers and turns off. She stares at him silently. “Do you think we could ever go back...” he begins shakily, “ to the way it was before?”

  
“Friends?” She interrupts.

  
“Something like that.”

  
“I don’t know,” she sighs, pulls her lower lip between her teeth. “Maybe. Do you?”

  
He shrugs, “maybe.”   
....

   
He walks her home, of course, he does because it’s Archie. It could be because he has nowhere better to be but it’s not.

  
He stops in front of the door to her building, puffs of air leaving his lips with every shaky breath. She follows his lead, coming to a screeching halt right in front of him. “Thank you for tonight,” she whispers as a small smile plays at her lips. “It was... amazing, Archie. I had a great time.”

  
“Me too,” he whispers, inching closer. She can tell by the way he’s looking at her what’s coming next; where this is going.

  
“Don’t,” she breathes— pleads— before the words even leave his mouth.

  
“I didn’t even say anything,” he chuckles, takes another step closer and Veronica sighs.

  
“I know,” she says with baited breath. “But you’re about to. And it’s going to be sweet and perfect and it’s going to ruin the night.”

  
“Maybe not,” he replies nervously. Still, she feels herself gravitating toward him. Being pulled closer, and she has to try and make a mental list of all the reasons why this is a horrible idea. Of why it can only end badly.

  
Archie presses his forehead against hers and she has to take in a deep breath. “Don’t,” she repeats, just above a whisper. Her eyes are shut and she can feel his breath on her lips.

  
“Tell me you don’t want this,” he whispers, letting out a heavy sigh. Her eyes dance from his own to his lips. “Tell me you haven’t missed me as much as I’ve missed you,” he continues and she feels her breath hitch. “I know that I broke your heart and I’m going to spend the rest of my life hating myself for it, I’m going to spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you.” She cocks an eyebrow, looks at him amusedly so that she doesn’t have to think about the weight of what he’s saying and he cringes, assures her, “I’m not proposing marriage or anything... I just want a second chance, Ronnie.”

  
“Archie-“ she sighs. Her lips feel cold and dry so she runs her tongue along it hurriedly.

  
“Tell me you want me to let you go and I’ll do it,” he whispers, lips only a fraction of a centimeter away from hers. “Right now.”

  
“Don’t,” she whispers again, swallows thickly. “Don’t go.”

  
His cold lips brush against hers as he tugs her closer, her hands reaching for the collar of his jacket, pulling him toward her, running her fingers through his hair. Their frozen breaths mingle, intertwine into one another shakily and hesitantly.

“Don’t go,” she whispers again and she means it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * if you’d like to chat with me about this fic or varchie or just.. anything in general, you can find me on tumblr @veronicasloddge !!
> 
> As always, I'd love to hear what you guys think of this chapter!


	13. part 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Veronica’s hand is still tightly gripping onto his, it has been every time they’ve broached the subject. She hasn’t let go and neither has he. 
> 
> They haven’t faltered. 
> 
> Now that they’re mended holding on seems effortless.

_**i. today** _

 

 

She wakes up to Archie watching over her, opens her eyes into his and it feels like she’s stepped into a dream. Some version of herself has lived this moment a hundred times, a hundred ways and none have felt nearly as good as this. His face softens completely, automatically. His lips curve up into a warm grin. He moves his hands slowly, runs his fingers through a few strands of hair obscuring her vision and brushes them out of her face. “Hi,” he breathes, grins sheepishly until she can’t help but smile back widely.

  
She has to close her eyes and open them again, reboot her system to convince herself this is real. It feels like a dream and the most real thing she’s ever felt. “Hi,” she whispers back, a little caught off guard by the fluttery feeling that overwhelms her as Archie watches her with a grin.

  
He laughs heartily and Veronica cocks an eyebrow at him. He composes himself, runs his fingers over her bare shoulder. “I bet you didn’t know that you’re adorable when you sleep,” he says sweetly.

  
Veronica's smile soften before she scoffs. “I did, actually,” she says with a smirk and Archie laughs again. It sounds melodic. “But your observance is noted... and appreciated.”

  
He shakes his head disbelievingly, leans forward to capture her lips in a kiss. The musky scent of his cologne is fading slowly, mixing into the air and escaping through an open window somewhere. Veronica smiles against Archie’s lips, slips her tongue into his mouth. She sighs into the kiss, moves toward him as he eases his hands over the curve of her waist, tugging her closer.

  
They both eventually pull away, breathless and blissful, but Archie keeps his forehead pressed against Veronica’s. She can feel his breath on her lips, warm and slow. Archie shifts a fraction of an inch, moves backward so he can see all of her. Veronica bites her bottom lip while Archie chuckles, grins sheepishly at her. “Hi,” he repeats, interlacing her fingers with his, moving their locked hands together.

  
“Hey,” Veronica says, presses her lips into a thin line to fight off the smile bubbling. “So,” she laughs, smiling at his smile. Archie watches her hesitantly and she can feel herself fumbling over her words. She has no idea how he has this effect on her. It feels like happiness. A swarm of butterflies in the pit of her stomach dancing around her ribs. “We should probably get up.”

  
Archie shakes his head, leans in to kiss her again. It’s short-lived, fleeting. Feels like fireworks and a first kiss. Their entire relationship has consisted of nothing but firsts. “I can make you breakfast,” Veronica argues half-heartedly.

  
He shakes his head again, kisses her senseless this time and mumbles a soft and firm, “no.” She playfully hits his shoulder and looks at him through half-shut eyes. This game he’s playing is cruel and unfair when he’s looking at her like that.

  
“Okay,” she smiles, gives in once again and it feels just as good as she remembers.   
....

  
“It wasn’t your fault-“ Veronica says softly, kicking a rock on the ground as she does. They've decided to talk a walk, finally enjoy a summer that's long gone. The grass feels soft and wet underneath them. For a minute he’s completely oblivious, has no idea where she’s going with this; it can’t be anywhere good.

  
It doesn’t take too long for him to figure it out.

  
It’s the same thing that’s been looming over each of them for the last few weeks; the abnormally large, screaming elephant in the middle of the room.

  
“Veronica-“ Archie interrupts. She presses her lips into a thin line, nods her head silently.

  
He has no idea where they are and he doesn’t think she does either. They’ve been walking around for almost an hour, aimlessly drifting through crowded streets, directionless. There’s a cool breeze in the air surrounding them that catches him by surprise. It feels refreshing. Not unlike being woken up from a dream.

  
Veronica’s hand is still tightly gripping onto his, it has been every time they’ve broached the subject. She hasn’t let go and neither has he.

  
They haven’t faltered.

  
Now that they’re mended holding on seems effortless.

  
She nods her head, offers him a reassuring smile. “Really,” she tells him. She looks so beautiful in this golden Autumn morning light, even more so than usual, which he didn’t think was possible. Her eyes glisten in the light and it reminds him of the first time he realized he was in love with her. That moment feels light years away, too far out of reach. Her grip on his hand tightens and she clears her throat. “Not all of it,” she breathes.

  
Veronica slows down gradually, pulling on his hand. Archie matches her pace until they come to a stop in front of a bench overlooking the empty street, covered in a half-shredded advertisement for a luxury apartment. She sits down carefully and he follows suit, keeps a firm grip on her hand to ground himself.

  
“I’ve always known what I want,” she tells him, sounds so hurt it hurts him. “Always. And I’ve always known how to get what I want. Everything’s always just come so easily to me.” Archie swallows and she takes the opportunity to clear her throat. “I’ve never been an insecure person. Ever. Not about anything. But you and Betty… I mean you guys have all this history and I couldn’t stop myself. I couldn’t compete with that. It scared me. You scare me,” her voice becomes noticeably softer. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone before and that terrifies me.”

  
Archie shuts his eyes, listens to her and wishes he could go back. Wishes he could’ve fought harder or convinced her she was wrong, convinced her what they had was worth it. “I’m scared too,” he tells her. “That's what makes it exciting, though.” He smiles at her and she smiles back warmly. “I’m sorry I got back together with her,” he whispers, her fingers are holding onto his by a thread. “I know how much that hurt you.”

  
“No,” she shakes her head. “You were right— I did that too, I kind of cornered you into being with her,” she sighs.

  
“And I did it anyway,” he scoffs.

  
“We both messed up.”   
….

 

They find themselves sitting in a diner that bears a striking resemblance to a certain small town Chock’lit shoppe. Its bright neon lights and comfy booths are not unlike the ones they’d become accustomed to. This diner doesn’t compare to Pop’s, though, doesn’t even come close.

  
Not that anything could.

  
Veronica orders two hot coffees and they wait for them in deafening silence, her hand still locked in Archie’s. The drinks are still steaming when they arrive, two identical cups placed beside each other before the waitress walks away with a smile. “It smells amazing,” Veronica tells Archie excitedly, letting go of his hand to bring the cup to her lips.

  
It’s freezing outside. She’s reminded of this when the door to the diner flies open and brings in a gush of cold air with it. “I’m sorry,” Archie says, feels like the millionth time he has.

  
Veronica stares at him, disbelievingly. They’ve both made so many mistakes and it’s done nothing besides leave them like this. “You don’t have to keep saying that,” she assures him, gently placing her hand on top of his.

  
Archie shakes his head, taking her hand in his again. “Except, I do,” he tells her. Feebly attempting to convince her, flashing her the tiniest smile “Because I am.”

  
She shakes her head. “We’re starting over, Archiekins.” She can’t remember the last time she’s called him that, the last time things felt as simple or as easy as they do in this moment.

  
“I’m still sorry,” he promises, half-smiles. Veronica leans over and kisses him briskly. She shifts closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. The smell of his cologne is practically non-existent by now.

  
“Me too.” Archie leans down to press a kiss to her forehead.

  
She peers up at him and he smiles at her; bright and breathtaking. It makes her heart lurch. Feels like she’s floating. “I wish we could go back, Ronnie,” he says softly. He empties a packet of sugar into his cup and doesn’t look at her. “I want to be where we were at that lake in the middle of nowhere,” he confesses, “before we went back to Riverdale.”

  
Veronica sits upright to look at him. “I don’t,” she says unconsciously, doesn’t realize it’s the truth until she’s had the chance to let it sink in. Archie watches her silently, waiting for an explanation or the other shoe to drop. Veronica smiles reassuringly, tells him, “I don’t mean it like that. All I’m saying is we’ve both made so many stupid mistakes since then, we’ve hurt each other in unbelievable ways. We’ve changed. I don’t want to be the person I was back then.”

  
“Neither do I,” Archie breathes, Veronica smiles at him, taking a sip of her coffee. “Do you have to be at the bar today?” He asks her.

  
“No,” she shakes her head.

  
“Good.”   
….

 

The sun is being pulled away, fading out of the sky by the time they fall into another comfortable silence. They have so much to talk about, so much to catch up on. It’s been too long since they’ve been able to talk to each other.

  
He tells her about the scholarship; the one she hadn’t been around to congratulate him on. She tells him about L.A and all she discovered, how enlightening her time had been. She tells him about law school, about her future and what she’s decided to do with it. “I want to make a difference,” she lets out a deep breath.

  
He’s playing with the fraying hem of his jacket sleeve but his eyes are piercing holes into her skin, blue and gold threads hanging loose. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asks. Has to clear his throat before he does because the air is cold and dry and he’s only been concentrating on what she’s saying. “When I asked you about it before?”

  
“I don’t know,” she answers honestly. The diner is full now, crowded and buzzing; alive. He’s sitting right beside her and she wonders if he can hear her over all the noise. “I’m sorry I didn’t,” she says.

  
“Come with me. To New York,” Archie says impulsively. His hand lands on top of hers and he moves closer toward her before he says it again. “Come to New York, Ronnie.” She can only faintly hear Archie’s voice. The sound of glasses clinking and forks hitting plates and people going about their days as if time isn’t at a standstill is too overpowering.

  
Her throat feels dry, she tightens her grip around the glass of water in front of her. “What?” she asks with a laugh. Archie’s eyes are wide and eager watching her. “You’re being serious, aren’t you?”

  
Archie nods. “It could be our second chance,” he smiles. “ _This_ is our second chance, Ronnie. I don’t want to mess it up. I love you. I’m all in.”

  
“I love you too,” she says softly, and then, “Okay.”

  
“Okay?” he echoes pointedly, watches her carefully.

  
“Okay,” she repeats, smiles up at him, meeting his sheepish grin. “All in.”  
….

 

Archie walks her home- being the gentleman that he is- and they’re both grinning the whole way; eyes lit up and breath leaving puffs of air wherever they go. He kisses her on the steps up to her apartment, lips lingering over hers long after they’ve parted. “Are you sure you don’t want to come upstairs… for some coffee or something?”

  
His lips find hers again, kiss her slowly and hungrily all at once. “No, I should, uh… I should get back to the hotel.”

  
“That’s too bad,” Veronica sighs. Bites her lip and looks up at him with wide eyes. “Because when I said coffee what I really meant was... hot chocolate.”

  
Archie grins at her, shaking his head. Kisses her once more for good measure. She can taste him, feel every inch of skin that he’s touching because it feels like it’s on fire. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Ronnie.”

  
She nods, still feeling a little hazy. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” And then he’s off, down the street and disappearing around a corner while she makes her way up to her apartment, smile still wide as ever.

  
It feels so good being happy.

  
“Someone’s in a good mood,” Toni muses, watching from the couch, when she finally makes it into the apartment. Veronica shuts the door behind her, dropping her keys onto the counter haphazardly. “Does this have anything to do with a certain resilient redhead?”

  
Veronica nods, can’t seem to wipe the smile off her face. She doesn’t really want to. “You were right,” she tells Toni. Kicks off her shoes and falls onto the couch beside her.

  
Toni smirks, lets out a hearty laugh. “Which time?”

  
“Hilarious,” Veronica deadpans, rolling her eyes. She clears her throat. “Archie and I are together.” She hasn’t said it out loud yet, not in as many words. It feels just as good as she thought it would be. They’re together. They’re in love.

  
“Finally,” Toni smiles, claps her hands together excitedly. “You have no idea how glad I am to hear that.”

  
“Thank you,” Veronica says with a smile.

  
“For what?”

“Nothing,” Veronica says. Then shakes her head. “Everything, just… Thank you,” she breathes, taking Toni’s hand in hers.

  
“You’re welcome,” Toni says, gives Veronica’s hand a reassuring squeeze.

  
“We’re going to New York,” Veronica tells her.

  
“We?”

  
“Archie and I,” Veronica says, and there’s that unshakeable smile again. “Together”

  
“That’s incredible, Veronica. I’m so happy for you,” she says, giving her a hug. Veronica feels herself sigh in relief. As impulsive and as crazy a decision as this is, it’s the right one to make. It’s what she wants. Toni clears her throat, pulling away. “So does that mean you’re moving out?” she asks.

  
“Yeah,” Veronica breathes, dropping her shoulders. It’s crazy, she knows, because she hasn’t even been here for long and even when she was she wasn’t really here. But she’s still going to miss this place. It still feels like the end of something special. “Thank you,” she repeats. “I have no idea how I would have made it through anything these last few months if you weren’t here.”

  
“Anytime.”  
….

 

Veronica’s rummaging through the tiny closet she’s called her own for the last few months, meticulously folding all of her belongings and placing them into her suitcase. She’s so tired of looking at the damn thing, tells Archie, “When we get there, the first thing I’m doing is throwing this out.” He nods wordlessly while she lets her thoughts run rampant. “We don’t have a place to live,” she muses and Archie looks at her pointedly. “And New York is loud, like really loud. All the time.”

  
Archie chuckles, takes a neatly folded shirt from her hand and puts it into her bag for her. “My dad has a small apartment he uses whenever he’s in the city... I told you that already,” he tells Veronica, a knowing smile on his lips. “And I’m sure they have earbuds in New York.”

  
“Okay,” Veronica lets out a sigh in relief. “Okay.”

  
“Do you not want to go?” He asks, but they both already know the answer.

  
“I do,” she says. She needs this.

  
“Then what is it, Ronnie?” Archie asks, takes her hand and shifts so she can sit beside him on the bed.

  
“This is crazy, Archie,” she tells him, gestures to the bag and everything. “We’re crazy for doing this. I mean it might be certifiably insane. We have no plan, we have no idea what we’re going to do once we’re there and how we’re going to deal with anything at all,” she lets out a deep breath watches him as she does.

  
“But?” Archie asks, a little smile playing at his lips.

  
“But I still want to do it,” she confesses, exhales heavily.

  
“So do I, Ronnie,” he smiles at her, and it makes her stomach lurch and her face light up. Archie laughs warmly. “Everything we’ve done this year has been crazy and impulsive and bold.”

  
“If that's your pep talk it’s a horrible one,” Veronica interrupts, chuckles as she plays with his hand in hers. “This year isn't exactly the poster child for good decisions.”

  
“We’re here aren’t we?”

  
“We are,” Veronica smiles, leans in and presses her lips against Archie’s. “I love you, Archie.”

  
“I love you too.”  
….

  
They catch a flight to New York the next week; tired of driving, tired of running away.

  
Archie can’t stop looking at Veronica. The sun is just beginning to set over California as they ascend into the clear blue sky. The sun, soft and golden streaks through her window, illuminating single raven strands of hair that curtain her face.

  
“We should’ve gone to the beach,” she smiles, turning toward him. She sounds wistful. Archie searches for any doubt within her expression but he can’t find any. “The water looks gorgeous from up here.”

  
“It does,” he muses, flashing her a boyish grin. “Almost as breathtaking as you.” Veronica smiles at him from her seat, leaning over for a quick kiss; her lips tinged with hints of the cheap bottle of champagne they’d popped open before they’d left the hotel. To new beginnings.

  
She takes a sip of her water and Archie mimics her movements, taking a gulp of his own and setting it down beside her cup, reaching for her hand as he does. Veronica smiles at him again and it’s infectious.

  
Archie intertwines his fingers with hers, turning the back of her hand toward him just as Veronica pipes up. “What are you thinking about?” She asks, cocking her head to meet his lowered gaze.

  
He smiles at her reassuring smile, maybe it’s the altitude or the champagne or maybe he’s just never felt this happy. “I was thinking how glad I am that you’re here with me,” he says, letting out a shallow breath. He can’t imagine being here without her.

  
“Me too,” Veronica says, her smile softening. She leans in hastily, plants a slow kiss on his lips. Archie leans into it, opening his mouth slightly to her. “Are you ready for it?” she asks, eyes searching his face.

  
“What?”

  
“Everything...” Veronica laughs softly. “Whatever comes next.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

_**ii. a year later** _

 

 

He hears her before he sees her. Hears her keys turning in the door, the Riverdale High keychain Betty had given her on her first day of school along with it. “Hey,” she murmurs, smiles when her eyes land on him. Sighs contently and makes her way across the room toward him while he beams at her sheepishly.

  
“Ronnie,” he drawls, prolonging each letter for no other reason than to see her smile at it. It works and he can’t believe how far gone he is. He’s always been. He leans in for a quick kiss, barely brushes his lips against hers and feels light-headed all of a sudden.

  
Veronica frowns into the kiss, looks up at him pointedly. “You taste like tequila,” she muses.

  
“Yeah, well…” Archie sighs, moves his hands around aimlessly while Veronica watches him with an amused grin. “I was thirsty.”

  
Veronica nods, puts her hands on her hips and presses her lips into a thin line. “Right,” she mutters before sitting down beside him.

  
“What?” Archie asks defensively. “It was all we had.” He winces at the volume of his voice, shuts his eyes to quiet down the noise. Last time he ever lets Reggie talk him into getting drunk, even if it is the last week before his wedding.

  
Veronica scoffs, “oh that much I’m sure of.” She sucks in a deep breath before resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes. “How did you guys even get so much booze?” she asks, lacing her fingers into his as she does. 

Archie chuckles, shakes his head. “It’s _Reggie_ , do you even have to ask?”

 

“Point made,” Veronica sighs, leans into Archie. He presses a kiss to the top of her head, smiles when she hums in approval. “Do you happen to have any leftovers?” she says. “I need a drink. Or to sleep for a week, either one works perfectly well for me.”

  
Archie shakes his head. “What happened?”

 

Veronica sighs, sits upright to meet his gaze. “Josie’s flipping out because her dad said he managed to get off of work which means he can be here for the wedding.” Veronica lets out a deep breath. “Which is great, except that he’s bringing someone with him and she’s convinced that if we put them at the same table as her mom and Mr. Keller it’s going to be a disaster.” She drops her shoulders, has to pause to catch her breath after speeding through her story. In his drunken state, Archie isn’t even sure if he caught the entire thing but he nods anyway. “Which is all to say I’ve had a very long day.”

  
“God, you look good,” Archie mumbles, can’t even think straight once he does. It’s not his fault he’s distracted. If anything, it’s hers. It has always been. It’s her fault he’d pretty much been a goner since the first time he met her eyes from across a diner. It’s her fault for being all he ever thinks about, ever.

  
“Thank you,” Veronica smiles. She leans up and kisses his cheek softly before retreating back to her seat beside him. Archie feels a familiar warmth spread through his limbs while his mind feels a pleasant buzz. “But you’re absolutely no help,” she pouts.

  
“Does it help if I tell you your hair smells amazing?”

  
She shakes her head, “you’re wasted.”

  
“Definitely,” Archie breathes, leans in so close he can feel her breath on his lips.

  
“We should get to bed,” Veronica suggests, clears her throat but Archie doesn’t budge. Keeps his gaze focused on hers even if it’s taking everything he has to be able to just see straight. He shakes his head and Veronica looks at him pointedly, cocks an eyebrow.

  
Archie dips his head down and kisses her, tender but urgently, cramming how much he’d missed being around her all day into the span of one kiss. “Archie,” Veronica breathes, draws it out.

  
“You know what we should do?” he asks, dazed, after she breaks the kiss. “We should go to bed and get- no, _not get_ \- not get any sleep,” he says slowly, lips barely an inch away from hers. He feels like his lips are on fire, feels warm and disastrous and once again it’s all her fault.

  
“Really?” Veronica scoffs, swallows thickly.

  
“God, yes.”   
….

 

He wakes up to an empty bed; the sheets feel gelid without Veronica beside him. His vision still blurry, recovering from sleep, he can just barely make out her figure at the foot of the bed. Muttering under her breath as she focuses all of her energy onto whatever it is she’s doing.

  
Archie sits upright, leaning on his elbows and watching in amusement as Veronica speeds around the room with just one shoe on, in a tiny dress no less, completely destroying any order their room might’ve been in. “Morning,” he says with a smirk, ducking as a shirt comes flying his way.

  
Veronica glances over at Archie for a quick second before disappearing into the closet, “Hey,” she says distractedly, coming to a halt in front of the mirror while Archie climbs out of the bed.

  
When he reaches her, her hands are buried beneath her hair, tightening the locket he’d given her around her neck. “Here,” he says softly, reaching forward, “let me help you with it.”

  
“Thanks,” she whispers. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you. Josie wanted us to be there early.” Archie silently buries his face in her hair and breathes deeply, the scent of her shampoo overwhelming his senses and filling the air. He strokes his hands over her open back, his nose nuzzling her neck while his lips ghost across her skin. Veronica sinks into his touch, leans into him as he hugs her to him for a few minutes more, his eyes closed in bliss at feeling her so close to him, “I’m supposed to be in a hurry,” she says; unconvincing.

  
“Just a few minutes,” he sighs, running his hand up her back. Tangles it in her hair while he covers her lips with his, kissing her hungrily and passionately, unwilling to let go. Veronica moans into his mouth. Her fingers are splayed out across his chest, breathing speeding up as she whimpers helplessly.

  
“If you don’t stop I won’t be able to leave,” she groans, reluctantly pulls away.

  
“I’m fine with that.” Veronica scoffs, slowly pulling away from him. Archie’s body follows hers automatically as she moves, a disgruntled growl leaving his throat at the unnecessary space between them. He drops his head, reaching forward to keep her in his arms, “You’re killing me here, Ronnie.”

  
Veronica lets out a melodious laugh, her eyes crinkling as she does, “I can tell.”

  
“Seriously,” Archie drops his shoulders. “You can’t expect me to not do anything when you look like that,” he breathes. “You look… gorgeous.”

  
“Thank you,” Veronica smiles, her hands draping around his neck as she pulls him closer to her and kisses him. “You have your invite, right?” she asks, grabbing her purse.

  
Archie nods slowly. “Do you need me to save you a seat?”

  
“Can’t,” Veronica shakes her head. “Sorry. Bridesmaid duties and all. I’m sure you’ll survive being on your own for a little while.”

  
“The entire ceremony, you mean?”

  
The blur that is Veronica dissipates when she comes to a halt in front of him, gives him a quick kiss as reassurance before she says, “it’s not my fault you spent all of high school in a turf war with Reggie.”

  
“Ronnie, with my luck I’ll probably end up being seated next to his dad,” Archie sighs. “You know how he always has something to say about my career choice.”

  
“It’s none of his business, Archie,” she tells him, her fingers playing with his ears as she watches him.

  
“Try telling him that.”

  
“Well, I, for one, full support you and could not be more proud of what you’re doing.” She smiles up at him. She leans forward and her lips brush his once again. Lazily this time; slow and teasing.

  
Archie pulls back breathless, beaming. “And...” he continues for her, “if it means that much to me you’re sure Josie wouldn’t mind letting you stay with me instead?”

  
“Yeah, right,” Veronica scoffs. “She’d pull me to the altar by my hair, Archie.” Archie hangs his head and Veronica sighs at the gesture. “I’ll make it up to you tonight, I promise.”

“Tonight is so far away,” Archie protests but it only makes her smile.

  
“You’ll make it,” she scoffs.

  
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

  
“Archie,” Veronica sighs. He uses the opportunity to kiss her one more time. “I love you. I’ll see you after the ceremony, okay?”

  
Archie drops his shoulders in defeat, nods. “Fine. I’ll be the guy who can’t take his eyes off of you.”  
….

 

She finds him after the ceremony, tears having dried on her cheeks and smile bubbling at her lips. The sky is a dark blue, silky clouds shifting out of view. He’s waiting for her. Of course, he is.

  
He always is.

  
Her lips fall in place with his automatically, sloppy, soft, and careless. Putting her fingers on the back of his neck, she pulls him in closer, his hands snaking around her waist; anchoring her.

  
They don’t get a chance to get too comfortable before the song changes in the background. It’s one of his favorites, she can tell by the perfect grin on his face. It makes her smile unabashedly. Archie moves his head back only an inch, breath still flushing against her nose. “Dance with me?” he asks and she nods silently.

  
It doesn’t take long for them to make their way onto the dance floor, hand in hand. A new moon shines above them; exciting. They find a spot right in the middle, and Veronica rests one hand on his shoulder, the other entangling with his. Eyes never straying from his.

  
She tries her best not to meet his eyes as they move slowly, gets distracted by the beaming expression on his face every time she does. Even almost trips over nothing one time because it’s so warm.

  
She always forgets what a good dancer he is, no matter how many times he reminds her of the contrary. She remembers a bar in a town somewhere with a name that sounds like hope. They’ve always moved so easily with each other, so in sync. “You know,” Archie starts, pulls her out of her train of thought. She looks up at him pointedly. “I haven’t been to a wedding in a really long time. The last one was-“

  
“Yeah,” Veronica nods, smiles up at him before kissing him.

  
“I’m glad you’re here, Ronnie.”

  
“I’m glad we both are,” she breathes, resting her head against him and closing her eyes blissfully as they continue to dance.

  
“I liked it better when you sang it,” he tells her, tilts his head toward the speaker on the stage behind them. Veronica lifts her head for a second and he brushes a kiss across her lips before she rests it against him again. She can feel him smiling even after she does, sighs contently when he presses a kiss into her hair. “So I did something...” he starts, waits for her to look at him again.

  
“That sounds... ominous,” she laughs, standing upright.

  
“I bought a ring,” he says, steady as a rock. Veronica looks at him like he’s insane— he must be— but doesn’t stop dancing. Keeps moving back and forth.

  
She clears her throat. “You bought a ring,” she echoes.

  
“I bought a ring,” Archie repeats. She can feel him searching her face, his gaze piercing. “For you.”

  
Veronica smiles, scoffs, “I would hope so.”

  
Archie chuckles, swallows thickly. “I’m not asking you or anything,” he says, shakes his head. “Not in the middle of Josie and Reggie’s wedding,” he insists.

  
Veronica holds back a laugh. “Right,” she says, pulls her bottom lip between her teeth and nods slowly.   
  
“I’m just telling you,” he clarifies, meets her eyes again and smiles at her. “Just making sure that you’re aware.”

  
“And now that I am?” Veronica asks, feels her smile soften.

  
“We keep dancing,” Archie suggests, follows through on the idea even once the song is over. A light flickers on above them. Lights up the hall and turns his eyes golden.

  
She tilts her chin up to meet his eyes. "Good."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it- the final instalment of Something’s Gotta Give. Thank you so much to everyone who left comments or kudos here, as well as in my Tumblr ask box. Reading your responses always makes me so happy. 
> 
> I still can’t believe it’s over, but I’m really proud of the this story and I’m so happy with the way it ended. I hope you all enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to hearing what you think of it! 
> 
>  
> 
> Until next time, xoxo <3


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